Coherent light generators – Particular active media – Gas
Patent
1986-07-15
1988-06-21
Davie, James W.
Coherent light generators
Particular active media
Gas
372 35, 372 61, 372 65, H01S 307, H01S 3045
Patent
active
047529369
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a gas laser, in particular an ion laser. In such a laser a plasma discharge in which the atoms or ions of the gas are excited and caused to emit light burns in a gas-filled discharge tube arranged between a cathode and an anode.
The discharge tube of an ion laser becomes very hot in operation, which, among other things, limits the power-handling capacity and life of the laser.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,600 an ion laser is known in which the discharge tube is cooled. In that laser, the discharge tube is supported with the aid of several disks within a gas-filled support tube which is surrounded by an outer tube with a space between. A coolant flows through the outer space formed by these two tubes. The support disks are made of copper and transport the heat by heat conduction from the discharge tube to the support tube. The coolant which flows around the support tube removes the heat from it.
This known ion laser has the disadvantage that the cooling of the discharge tube is not produced rapidly and effectively by heat conduction via the support disks and support tube, so that the temperature of the discharge tube still reaches rather high values.
The object of the present invention is to provide a gas laser, in particular an ion laser, which is characterized by a long life and good reproducibility of the radiation produced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention there is provided a gas laser, in particular an ion laser, comprising gas-filled discharge tube means disposed between a cathode and an anode within a resonant cavity, a gas filled support tube, a plurality of axially spaced disks supporting said discharge tube means within said support tube, said disks having gas passages therethrough, an outer tube surrounding said support tube with a radial space therebetween, means for passing a coolant through said radial space, means disposed in said radial space for subdividing said radial space into a plurality of axially extending circumferential sectors, and channels provided in said disks which channels interconnect different sectors of said plurality of sectors and extend within said disks along paths that approach said discharge tube means for passing coolant therethrough.
In the laser of the invention, the coolant entering a sector of the radial or outer space, flows in parallel through all support disks thus cooling them directly and then flows off over another sector of the outer space. Such a flow of coolant which takes place simultaneously and in parallel through all the support disks which are distributed over the entire length of the discharge tube cools the discharge tube rapidly and effectively by heat exchange. By selection of the coolant and of the speed of flow of the coolant, the cooling can be controlled in such a manner that the discharge tube does not exceed a preselected temperature for a given output of the laser.
It is particularly advantageous, in view of the small cross section of flow, to connect a closed coolant circuit to the corresponding inlet and outlet openings of the laser outer space. If a thermostat is inserted in said circuit then the temperature of the coolant, and thus also the temperature of the discharge tube reached with a predetermined laser output, can be maintained constant.
It is readily apparent that in the laser of the invention a long life of the laser is obtained by the effective cooling of the discharge tube. By suitable selection of the coolant parameters, the laser also permits operation with higher outputs, and does so without reduction of its life as compared with the ion lasers of known construction which are operated with lower outputs. Finally, in the laser of the invention the discharge tube can be acted on by higher currents so that higher output powers than with traditional gas lasers can be obtained with the same dimensions of the laser.
By the effective cooling of the discharge tube, the position and length of the tube in the laser of the invention, remain constant
REFERENCES:
patent: 3531734 (1970-09-01), Gordon et al.
patent: 3763442 (1973-10-01), McMahan
patent: 3894795 (1975-07-01), Laurens
patent: 4378600 (1983-03-01), Hobart
8164 Instruments and Experimental Techniques 27 (1984), Jan.-Feb., No. 1, Part 2, New York, U.S.A., pp. 194-197.
Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments, 6(1973), London, Great Britain, "A Demountable Argon Ion Laser of `All-Metal` Construction", J. C. L. Cornish et al, pp. 880-884.
Zeitschrift fur Angewandte Physik, vol. 29, No. 4, 1970, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany, Schafer et al.: "Eiin Entladungsrohr aus Cloxierten Al-Segmenten fur Ionenlaser", pp. 246-248.
Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
Davie James W.
Vo Xuan T.
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