RECOMBINATION LASER

摘要

An efficient recombination laser comprises a resonant laser cavity, a gaseous laser material disposed in the cavity, and means for providing a plasma discharge in said laser material, which plasma discharge is confined to a cylindrical region along the axis of the laser cavity. The plasma in the gaseous laser material expands outward radially from the cylindrical region at the axis of the cavity and cools by interacting with the adjacent unexcited gas. The maximum laser gain is provided in an annular region, which annular region is adjacent to and surrounds the initial discharge cylindrical region. In one embodiment of the present invention, the means for providing the plasma discharge comprises two pin-type electrodes which extend into the cavity along the cavity axis.