TRAVELLING WAVE LASER

摘要

This invention provides a transversely excited travelling-wave gas laser in which the excitation pulse is shaped by a pair of elongate electrodes, the separation of which varies along their length. The separation is ideally determined empirically. Preferably, the laser has a pair of main discharge electrodes having a constant separation between which the lasing discharge occurs, and a pair of timing electrodes electrically in series with the main discharge electrodes, the separation of which varies such that the discharge between the timing electrodes provides a sharpened pulse that arrives along the main electrodes in such a manner as to obtain a travelling wave laser discharge. The main and timing electrodes are preferably segmented. The separation of the electrodes is determined empirically by bringing successive portions of the main discharge electrodes into alignment and varying the separation of corresponding portions of the timing electrodes to obtain the required timing characteristics. The laser utilises a Blumheintype circuit with a suitable switch.