Coherent light generators – Particular active media – Gas
Patent
1990-03-20
1992-01-28
Scott, Jr., Leon
Coherent light generators
Particular active media
Gas
372 87, 372 34, 372 99, 372 92, 372 66, H01S 303
Patent
active
050848968
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
The present invention concerns an apparatus for emitting a laser, beam, of the type comprising an amplifying gaseous medium and means for exciting this medium. The invention may be used for producing lasers as well as amplifiers of laser beam.
The current technology of these apparatuses consists in placing in a cavity under vacuum where a laser producing rarefied gas circulates, a certain number of mirrors of which one is partially reflecting, which define a trajectory for the luminous beam consisting of rectilinear segments whose length is much greater than that of the apparatus.
This technology presents the disadvantage of being complicated and of rapidly becoming out of order as a result of transportation, shocks and/or overheating. Moreover, the size of the apparatuses is important as soon as some outlet power is required.
The aim of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is reliable and of reduced dimensions.
For this purpose, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the above-mentioned type, characterized in that the amplification medium is bounded by a reflecting guide which defines a continuously curved guiding trajectory of the laser beam along a plurality of turns.
The guide may for example consist of a groove hollowed out in a rigid support block and having a concave cross-section.
The trajectory guide may particularly be helicoidal.
Certain embodiments of the invention will now be described with, reference to the annexed drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of an apparatus for amplifying a laser beam according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the side opposite that of FIG. 1, of the same apparatus;
FIG. 3 is a partial end view, partially cut away, taken along arrow III of FIG. 2; and
FIGS. 4 to 7 schematic illustrations of a plurality of embodiments of the means of excitation associated with the guide.
The apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 is intended to serve as an amplifier for a low power laser 1 (for example a few tens of watts). It comprises a generally cylindrical amplifying enclosure 2, having a horizontal axis X--X, which is connected on the one hand to a vacuum pump 3 by means of a duct 4 from an end wall 5, and on the other hand to a source of laser forming gas 6 by means of a duct 7 which originates from the other end wall 8 of the enclosure. The laser forming gas is for example a mixture of helium, nitrogen and CO.sub.2 and may also contain hydrogen, carbon monoxide, oxygen and/or xenon. The enclosure 2 is mounted on a stand 9 which also carries the laser 1 (FIG. 2).
An annular block 10 is mounted in the space 11 provided in the enclosure 2, against the internal cylindrical wall of the latter. In the radially internal face of this block a helicoidal groove 12 has been hollowed out, whose extremity (on the left of FIG. 1, on the right of FIG. 2) is opposite an inlet port 13 (FIG. 2) and whose other extremity is opposite an outlet port 14 (FIG. 1) of the enclosure 2. The port 13 is in the diametrically horizontal plan of the enclosure 2, at the bottom of a channel 13A provided in the enclosure 2 (FIG. 2), also, the port 14 is in the vertical diametrical plane of the enclosure 2, at the bottom of a channel 14A of the enclosure 2 (FIG. 1). The cross-section of the groove 12 is an arc of a circle. Its surface carries a protective and reflecting coating 15 which is analogous to those, used in known manner for the total laser reflection mirrors.
The central space defined by the block 10 is partially occupied by a combination comprising a heat exchanger 16, for example made of a metallic trellis provided with cooling fluid inlet, circulation and outlet ducts 17, this exchanger being surrounded by a cylindrical electrode 18 having an axis X--X. The combination is overhangingly supported by means of a portion 5A of wall 5, connected to the latter by means of radial ribs 5B. The other electrode 19 of the apparatus is also cylindrical and has the same axis X--X, and is mounted in a cavity 20 provided in
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"Oversized Helical Waveguides for Optically Pumped Far-Infrared Lasers", Physics Letters, vol. 58A, No. 3, Aug. 1976, by E. Affolter et al., pp. 183-184.
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Landry Jacques
Pon on Vincent
Van der Have Philippe
Jr. Leon Scott
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'etude ei l'Exploitation de
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