Abstract: A compact fluorescent lamp that has smaller size by employing plurality of low power, short and thin tubes, each connected to low power integrated electronic ballast instead of one wide and long tube.

Abstract: A gas discharge apparatus (100) with a cylindrical axis, comprising: at least one pair of electrodes (106, 110); a cylindrical outer tube (114), surrounding the axis; a cylindrical inner tube (102) surrounding the axis; and a gas contained between said inner tube (102) and said outer tube (104), of suitable composition and pressure to create a gas discharge current when sufficient voltage is applied to said electrodes (106, 110), wherein no discharge is present inside the inner tube (102) during operation.

Abstract: A device and method for establishing and maintaining a gas discharge extending essentially through the entire space between electrodes which face each other. The gas discharge is obtained by providing on at least one of the surfaces of the electrodes facing each other a thin dielectric coating, and applying a suitable current, in the range of from about 50 KHz to about 2 MHz. A high frequency excitation voltage is used, and the thin dielectric coating acts as a capacitor.

Abstract: There is provided a gas discharge laser with a purality of elongated parallel electrodes defining in space a honeycomb structure in the form of a plurality of immaginary triangular or square structures, where in the case of the triangular arrangement each of the three parallel electrodes of a given triangle is supplied with DC power with three potentials phase shifted by 1, 120 and 240 degrees; in the case of square electrode arrangements, each of the four electrodes of a given square being supplied with four potentials, phase shifted by 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees, to the four corners of such adjacent electrodes. At one end of the electrode pattern there is provided a feedback mirror, at the other end an output coupler.