Elongated chambers for use in combination with a transversely excited gas laser

Claim 1

A gas laser comprising: a. an elongated chamber of cross-sectional dimensions suitable for confining a laser gas discharge, said elongated chamber being formed from a dielectric material; b. a laser gas disposed in said elongated chamber; c. first and second reflecting means for reflecting and guiding light energy from said laser gas discharge within said elongated chamber so that said light energy is optically independent of the internal walls of said elongated chamber as said light energy travels longitudinally the length of said elongated chamber; and d. first and second electrode means for transversely exciting said laser gas, each of said electrode means being formed from an electrically conductive material and being disposed opposing each other wherein said first and second electrode means are disposed longitudinally on said elongated chamber; e. third and fourth electrode means for transversely exciting said laser gas, each of said electrode means being formed from an electrically conductive material and being disposed opposing each other wherein said third and fourth electrode means are disposed longitudinally on said elongated chamber and are disposed orthogonally to said first and second electrode means; f. energy means for applying a voltage of alternating polarity to said first and second electrode means and said third and fourth electrode means at a frequency ranging from 10 Mhz to about 3 GHz to establish a laser gas discharge in said laser gas; and g. coupling means for matching the impedance of said elongated chamber and said first and second electrode means and said third and fourth electrode means to the impedance of said energy means.