Coherent light generators – Particular resonant cavity – Folded cavity
Patent
1989-01-23
1991-05-07
Scott, Jr., Leon
Coherent light generators
Particular resonant cavity
Folded cavity
372 99, 372107, 372108, 372 95, 372 58, 372 87, H01S 3081
Patent
active
050142828
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a gas laser, particularly a carbon dioxide laser, with a component-free gas discharge chamber between high voltage electrodes, with a beam of two resonator end mirrors multiply folded between facing reflectors and with openings of the gas discharge chamber, which is sealed to the outside and permit gas inflow and outflow.
Prior Art
A gas laser of this type is known from DE-OS 35 16 232. This known laser is intended for motor vehicle ignition systems and for this purpose has a simple construction and limited space requirements. No cooling is provided.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The problem of the invention is to so improve a gas laser with the aforementioned features, particularly with respect to its component-free gas discharge chamber and whilst retaining its simple construction, that a higher efficiency is achieved, whilst maintaining an acceptable beam quality.
This problem is solved in that there is a continuous gas flow in the gas discharge chamber and that the gas flow direction is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the component-free gas discharge chamber located between the reflectors.
The aforementioned gas laser of DE-OS 35 16 232 admittedly has gas inlets and outlets, but they merely serve to be able to provide the interior of the laser with the desired gas filling or to replace said gas filling. There is no continuous gas flow. DE-OS 33 16 778 discloses a gas circulation through the discharge chamber. However, this has a central, thicker covered tubular electrode, which contributes to a turbulence of the flow in the direction of the beam, so that transverse density gradients occur in the laser gas, which leads to beam distortions.
Thus, it is important for the invention that the continuous gas flow or its gas flow direction is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the component-free discharge chamber. The multiply folded beam increases the compactness of the laser and in particular the flow cross-sections become larger with reduced flow lengths. This leads to smaller pressure differences, particularly in the discharge chamber, which also leads to an improvement in the beam quality when a laser efficiency rise occurs, whilst also offering the possibility of using less expensive pump systems with low pressure numbers, namely lateral channel and radial compressors. These advantages and in particular the high beam quality are obtained both with continuous and pulsating laser operation. Its compactness ensures high mechanical stability and also permits a considerable reduction to manufacturing costs.
The gas discharge chamber is at least a cross-sectionally rectangular flow channel, on whose ends are arranged bar shaped reflectors as spherically curved mirrors of roof edge mirrors folding the beam in U-shaped manner. The bar shaped reflectors are matched in optimum manner from the stability standpoint with this shape to the rectangular flow channel. The rectangular flow channel or the support tube surrounding the flow channel has a high angular impulse, so that any vibrations present through residual unbalances of rotary parts of blowers and the like only have a limited effect in the optical system of the laser. The stability of the optical system or the bar shaped reflectors or folding mirrors obtained is so considerable, that no importance is attached to the folding number increase, which has to be accepted in order to avoid a reduction of the beam diameter through multiple intermediate focusing in the case of reflection on the spherically curved mirrors. The roof edge mirror folding in U-shaped manner the beam also has a high mechanical stability with respect to vibrations and is comparatively insensitive, particularly in the case of small tilts about its roof edge axis, because there are only minor displacements of the beam portions between the reflectors.
In the case of a gas laser, particularly a carbon dioxide laser, with a gas discharge chamber and the beam of two resonator end mirrors multiply folded between facing reflectors, it is advanta
REFERENCES:
patent: 3904983 (1975-09-01), Moreno et al.
patent: 4491950 (1985-01-01), Hoffmann
patent: 4703491 (1987-10-01), Lim
patent: 4723256 (1988-02-01), Hoag
patent: 4757512 (1988-07-01), Macken
patent: 4891820 (1990-01-01), Rando et al.
Boning Hartwig
Herziger Gerd
Loosen Peter
Marten Otto
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der ange-wandten Forschung
Jr. Leon Scott
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