Cathode and cathode mount for a gas laser

摘要

A gas laser is provided having a cathode which is essentially tubularly designed and surrounds an end of a laser capillary which faces toward it. The cathode has a tube termination which serves the purpose of protecting tube parts situated there behind from the plasma of the laser. It surrounds a beam passage opening which insures that the laser beam can pass through in unattenuated fashion. This beam passage opening can be made smaller and the shielding can thus be improved since an extension of the mount for the optical elements of the laser projects into the interior of the laser, and the cathode is fixed to the extension at least in a radial direction. The invention is particularly suited for helium-neon lasers.