Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp and a method of generating light are described. The lamp may comprise a lamp body including a dielectric material having a relative permittivity greater than 2. A lamp drive circuit is coupled to the lamp body and configured to provide radio frequency (RF) power to the lamp body. A bulb containing a fill is positioned proximate the lamp body. The fill forms a plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill from the lamp body. A lamp drive circuit including modulation control circuit is provided to control modulation of a frequency of the RF power across a frequency band. The circuit may be configured to provide RF power across a frequency band around a resonant frequency for the lamp body to reduce peak amplitude and electro-magnetic interference while maintaining average power to the plasma.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp is provided. The lamp includes a conductive enclosure including a dielectric material (e.g., air) and a bulb containing a fill to form a light emitting plasma. A radio frequency (RF) power source is coupled into to the enclosure. At least one conductive applicator applies power from the enclosure to the bulb and at least one limped inductive element is coupled between the RF feed and applicator. The lumped inductive element may be a helically wound coil. In an example embodiment, the lamp includes first and second lumped inductive elements. The first and second lumped inductive elements may extend from opposed end walls of the enclosure. The first lumped inductive element may be connected to a first conductive applicator located proximate a first end of the bulb and the second lumped inductive element may be connected to a second conductive applicator located proximate a second end of the bulb.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp having a lamp body and a power source configured to provide radio-frequency (RF) power via a feed to the lamp body is provided. The lamp includes a first conductive element and a second conductive element. The first conductive element has a first side with a first protrusion. The second conductive element has a second side with a second protrusion. The first side and second side face each other and spaced apart by a first distance and configured to couple the RF power via an electric field to a fill to form at least one plasma arc. The first protrusion and the second protrusion extend towards each other and are spaced apart by a second distance that is less than the first distance. The first and second protrusions may provide localized enhancement of the electric field at the first side and the second side.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp is described that employs acoustic resonance. The plasma lamp includes a metal enclosure having a conductive boundary forming a resonant structure, and a radio frequency (RF) feed to couple RF power from an RF power source into the resonant cavity. A bulb is received at least partially within an opening in the metal enclosure. The bulb contains a fill that forms a light emitting plasma when the power is coupled to the fill. The RF power source includes a controller to modulate the RF power to induce acoustic resonance in the plasma.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp and a method of generating light are described. The lamp may comprise a lamp body including a dielectric material. The bulb is positioned proximate the lamp body and contains a fill that forms a plasma when radio frequency (RF) power is coupled to the fill. The conductive element is located within the lamp body and configured to enhance coupling of the RF power to the fill. The lamp may include a feed coupled to the RF power source and configured to radiate power into the lamp body. The at least one conductive element is configured to enhance the coupling of radiated power from the feed to the fill. In an example, two spaced apart conductive elements may be located within the lamp body. The bulb may be an elongated bulb having opposed ends, each opposed end of the bulb being proximate a corresponding conductive element.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp and method of generating light are described. The lamp may comprise a lamp body, a source of radio frequency (RF) power and a bulb. The lamp body may comprise a solid dielectric material and at least one conductive element within the solid dielectric material. The source of RF power is configured to provide RF power and an RF feed configured to radiate the RF power from the RF source into the lamp body. The bulb is positioned proximate the lamp body and contains a fill that forms a plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill from the lamp body. The at least one conductive element is configured to concentrate an electric field proximate the bulb.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp and method of forming a seal on an electrodeless bulb for use in the plasma lamp are described. The method may include providing a section of tube, cutting the tube to length, and sealing a first point on one end of the tube in a rounded fashion to form a first end of the electrodeless bulb. The cross-sectional diameter of an opposite end of the tube is reduced to form a tail on the electrodeless bulb. The tail is open to an interior portion of the bulb where the interior portion forms a cavity. One or more fill gases are injected into the cavity of the bulb. A first portion along the tail of the bulb is sealed thereby forming a truncated tail. A second point on the tail, intermediate between a terminal portion of the tail and a portion of the bulb containing the cavity, is sealed. The second point is sealed with a plasma torch by using an inert-gas element with a minimum of hydrogen gas.

Abstract: A plasma lamp for an electrodeless plasma lamp having a shaped dielectric waveguide body. The shaped body may have a relatively thin region containing a bulb, and a second region thicker than the first region. Microwave probes may be positioned in the second region to provide power to the waveguide body. The body may be shaped to intensify the electric field in the first region adjacent to the bulb to allow operation at a lower frequency than a solid cylindrical or rectangular waveguide body having the same volume and dielectric constant.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp and a method of controlling operation of a plasma lamp are provided. The plasma lamp may a power source to provide radio frequency (RF) power and a lamp body to receive the RF power from a feed. The lamp body may comprise a dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than 2 and bulb is provided that contains a fill that forms a plasma that emits light when at least a portion of the RF power is coupled to the fill. A light guide directs light from the bulb to a photosensor that is shielded from light output from a front side of the lamp body. The lamp includes a drive circuit to control operation of the lamp based on a level of light detected by the photosensor.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp and a method of generating light are provided. The plasma lamp may comprise a power source to provide radio frequency (RF) power and a lamp body to receive the RF power. The lamp body may include a dielectric material having a relative permittivity greater than 2. A bulb is provided that contains a fill that forms a light emitting plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill. Collection optics is provided to direct the light along an optical path to an aperture, wherein the optical path includes at least one reflective surface and at least two refractive surfaces.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp is described comprising a lamp body including a solid dielectric material. The lamp includes a bulb received at least partially within an opening in the solid dielectric material and a radio frequency (RF) feed configured to provide power to the solid dielectric material. A conductive material is provided adjacent to the bulb to concentrate the power proximate the bulb. The conductive material may be located below an upper surface of the solid dielectric material. The conductive material may modify at least a portion of an electric field proximate the bulb so that the portion of the electric field is oriented substantially parallel to an upper surface of the lamp body.

Abstract: A lamp and methods of forming are shown. In one example, a dielectric layer is formed over a gap between conductors in a plasma lamp. Electric arcing is reduced or eliminated, thus allowing tighter gaps and/or higher voltages. In one example a glass frit method is used to apply the dielectric layer. A lamp is shown with a barrier layer that prevents tarnish such as tarnish from sulfur exposure. The barrier layer reduces or prevents degradation of the lamp due to conversion of a conductor material to non-conductive tarnish material.

Abstract: In various exemplary embodiments, an electrodeless plasma lamp includes a bulb configured to be coupled to a source of radio frequency (RF) power. The bulb contains a fill that forms a plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill. An electrically-conductive convex shield is positioned proximate to the bulb with a convex surface of the shield being distal to the bulb. A resonant structure having a quarter wave resonant mode includes a lamp body having a dielectric material having a relative permittivity greater than 2 with an inner conductor and an outer conductor. The source of RF power is configured to provide RF power to the lamp body at about a resonant frequency for the resonant structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods to control an electrodeless plasma light source. In various embodiments, an apparatus is provided that includes an electrodeless plasma lamp with a lamp driver circuit. The lamp driver circuit may include a voltage-controlled oscillator to provide radio frequency power to the electrodeless plasma lamp. A radio frequency power detector is coupled to an output of the voltage-controlled oscillator to detect a level of reflected power from the electrodeless plasma lamp. A microprocessor is configured to receive signals from the radio frequency power detector and control a frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator to minimize the reflected power from the electrodeless plasma lamp.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp and method of generating light are described. The lamp may comprise a lamp body, a source of radio frequency (RF) power and a bulb. The lamp body may comprise a solid dielectric material and at least one conductive element within the solid dielectric material. The source of RF power is configured to provide RF power and an RF feed configured to radiate the RF power from the RF source into the lamp body. The bulb is positioned proximate the lamp body and contains a fill that forms a plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill from the lamp body. The at least one conductive element is configured to concentrate an electric field proximate the bulb.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp having a bulb containing a fill that forms a light-emitting plasma is described. The lamp includes a power amplifier to provide radio frequency power to the fill at a frequency in the range of about 50 MHz to 10 GHz and the power amplifier is configured to operate in at least two classes of operation. Control electronics of the lamp is configured to change the class of operation of the power amplifier during operation of the plasma lamp. For example, the power amplifier may be configured to operate as a class A/B amplifier during at least a first mode of operation and a class C amplifier during at least a second mode of operation.

Abstract: A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) with a body comprising at least one dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2, and having a shape and dimensions such that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode when microwave energy of an appropriate frequency is coupled into the body. A dielectric bulb within a lamp chamber in the body contains a fill which when receiving energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma. The bulb is transparent to visible light and infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. Radiative energy lost from the plasma is recycled by reflecting the radiation from thin-film, multi-layer coatings on bulb exterior surfaces and/or lamp chamber surfaces back into the bulb.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp and method of generating light are described. The lamp may comprise a lamp body, a source of radio frequency (RF) power and a bulb. The lamp body may comprise a solid dielectric material and at least one conductive element within the solid dielectric material. The source of RF power is configured to provide RF power and an RF feed configured to radiate the RF power from the RF source into the lamp body. One or more tuning mechanisms allow tuning of the lamp body to a given resonant frequency. The bulb is positioned proximate the lamp body and contains a fill that forms a plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill from the lamp body. The at least one conductive element is configured to concentrate an electric field proximate the bulb.

Abstract: A lamp and methods of forming are shown. In one example, a dielectric layer is formed over a gap between conductors in a plasma lamp. Electric arcing is reduced or eliminated, thus allowing tighter gaps and/or higher voltages. In one example a glass frit method is used to apply the dielectric layer. A lamp is shown with a barrier layer that prevents tarnish such as tarnish from sulfur exposure. The barrier layer reduces or prevents degradation of the lamp due to conversion of a conductor material to non-conductive tarnish material.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp is described comprising a lamp body including a solid dielectric material. The lamp includes a bulb received at least partially within an opening in the solid dielectric material and a radio frequency (RF) feed configured to provide power to the solid dielectric material. A conductive material is provided adjacent to the bulb to concentrate the power proximate the bulb. The conductive material may be located below an upper surface of the solid dielectric material. The conductive material may modify at least a portion of an electric field proximate the bulb so that the portion of the electric field is oriented substantially parallel to an upper surface of the lamp body.