MICROWAVE GAS LASER AND MICROWAVE DISCHARGE PUMPING METHOD THEREFOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the laser output and oscillation efficiency by subjecting a laser gas medium to uniform discharge pumping without raising or distributing the gas temperature on the optical axis of laser. SOLUTION: A microwave oscillated from a microwave oscillator 2 is introduced through a waveguide 3 to a rectangular cavity resonator 14 to form a microwave field of TE10 mode having substantially constant strength vertically to the optical axis of laser light. A laser gas medium in a discharge tube 1 is subjected to discharge pumping efficiently by the microwave field to produce a laser output. Furthermore, shift in the resonance frequency of standing microwave caused by the design error of rectangular cavity resonator 14 is corrected by fine adjustment of the insertion length of movable end plates 9a, 9b for wavelength tuning disposed in the rectangular cavity resonator 14.