US5220577A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Waveguide laser with variable waveguide thickness
Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt eV
•
Filing: 1991-08-15
•
Granted: 1993-06-15
•
Expires: 2011-08-15
Abstract
Abstract In order to improve a high-frequency excited high-power laser comprising two resonator mirrors arranged opposite one another, a gas discharge chamber, a waveguide having two reflecting waveguide surfaces located opposite one another and facing the gas discharge chamber and a beam path having an initial wave bundle, which expands with spatial coherence as a wave bundle system due to multiple back and forth reflection in a transverse direction between the waveguide surfaces, such that the expansion of the wave bundle system with spatial coherence in the transverse direction at right angles to the initial direction can be achieved by other means, it is suggested that the tangents at two first waveguide surface regions reflecting the initial wave bundle, these tangents extending at right angles to the initial direction, extend parallel to one another and that a distance between second waveguide surface regions following the first waveguide surface regions which reflect the initial wave bundle become steadily larger, proceeding from the distance between the first waveguide surface regions, over an expansion path in the direction of the transverse direction with increasing expansion of the wave bundle system.
Inventors
- 👤 Hans Opower
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 08:10
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/02; H01S3/03; H01S3/0315
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
A high-power laser comprising: two resonator mirrors having first and second resonator mirror surfaces arranged opposite one another; a waveguide extending between said first and second resonator mirror surfaces and having two reflecting waveguide surfaces located opposite one another and facing a gas discharge chamber enclosed by the waveguide for holding a gas excitable by high frequency energy; a beam path having an initial bundle of lightwaves, said initial bundle expanding towards the second mirror surface in an initial direction extending at right angles to a region of the first mirror surface and due to multiple back and forth reflection between the second and the first mirror surfaces expanding with spatial coherence as a wave bundle system between the two reflecting waveguide surfaces in a transverse direction extending at right angles to said initial direction; wherein: first and second tangents at two first waveguide surface regions reflecting the initial wave bundle extend parallel to one another, said tangents also extending at right angles to said initial direction; and a distance between second waveguide surface regions following the first two waveguide surface regions becomes steadily larger proceeding from an initial distance between the two first waveguide surface regions over an expansion path along said transverse direction with increasing expansion of the wave bundle system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
A high-power laser comprising: two resonator mirrors having first and second resonator mirror surfaces arranged opposite one another; a waveguide extending between said first and second resonator mirror surfaces and having two reflecting waveguide surfaces located opposite one another and facing a gas discharge chamber enclosed by the waveguide for holding a gas excitable by high frequency energy; a beam path having an initial bundle of lightwaves, said initial bundle expanding towards the second mirror surface in an initial direction extending at right angles to a region of the first mirror surface and due to multiple back and forth reflection between the second and the first mirror surfaces expanding with spatial coherence as a wave bundle system between the two reflecting waveguide surfaces in a transverse direction extending at right angles to said initial direction; wherein: first and second tangents at two first waveguide surface regions reflecting the initial wave bundle extend parallel to one another, said tangents also extending at right angles to said initial direction; and a distance between second waveguide surface regions following the first two waveguide surface regions becomes steadily larger proceeding from an initial distance between the two first waveguide surface regions over an expansion path along said transverse direction with increasing expansion of the wave bundle system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 1, wherein the first resonator mirror surface is planar.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 2, wherein the second resonator mirror surface is planar.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 3, wherein the resonator mirror surfaces extend parallel to one another.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 3, wherein the resonator mirror surfaces extend at an angle to one another.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A high-power laser as defined in cliam 1, wherein the first waveguide surface regions have a substantially linear extension in the transverse direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A high-power laser as defined in cliam 1, wherein the first waveguide surface regions have a substantially linear extension in the transverse direction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 1, wherein the distance between the second waveguide surface regions following the first two waveguide surface regions which reflect the initial wave bundle becomes steadily larger over the entire extension of the second waveguide surface regions in the transverse direction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A high-power laser as defined in cliam 1, wherein one of the two reflecting waveguide surfaces is convex in the transverse direction and the other of the two reflecting waveguide surfaces is concave in the transverse direction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A high-power laser as defined in cliam 1, wherein one of the two reflecting waveguide surfaces is convex in the transverse direction and the other of the two reflecting waveguide surfaces is concave in the transverse direction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A high-power laser as defined in cliam 1, wherein the two reflecting waveguide surfaces are cylindrically curved about respective axes of curvature in the transverse direction.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A high-power laser as defined in cliam 1, wherein the two reflecting waveguide surfaces are cylindrically curved about respective axes of curvature in the transverse direction.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 9, wherein the axes of curvature of the waveguide surfaces extend parallel to and at a distance from one another.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 10, wherein one mirror surface extends at right angles to an axis of curvature.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 9, wherein the axes of curvature form an angle with one another.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 9, wherein the axes of curvature are skewed relative to one another.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 9, wherein the waveguide surfaces are formed by an azimuthally closed interior surface of an external cylinder and an azimuthally closed exterior surface of an internal cylinder.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 1 further comprising a partially permeable mirror region for outputting a laser beam.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A high-power laser as defined in cliam 15, wherein the partially permeable mirror region is located in a resonator mirror surface reflecting the wave bundle system back and forth.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A high-power laser as defined in cliam 15, wherein the partially permeable mirror region is located in a resonator mirror surface reflecting the wave bundle system back and forth.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
54 words
A high-power laser as defined in claim 15, wherein the partially permeable mirror region is penetrated by an exit wave bundle in an exit direction and the two waveguide surface regions reflecting the exit wave bundle have respective tangents that extend at right angles to the exit direction and extend parallel to one another.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4939738A
Cited
US5050181A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-06-14 | 1996-12-14 | 1997-06-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-06-14 | 2000-12-14 | 2001-06-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-06-14 | 2004-12-14 | 2005-06-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |