Abstract: A laser optical cavity extends between two end reflectors (11, 12) and is defined by at least three sections. A number of folding reflectors (14) are provided for directing radiation emerging from one section into the next. An active medium is contained in the sections and excitation means are provided to produce laser action. A rigid support member (10) supports the end reflectors (11, 12) and the folding reflectors (14) around a generally cylindrical surface such that a continuous optical path extends between the end reflectors (11, 12) by way of each folding reflector (14) in turn. At least three of the laser sections extend across a substantial part of the area with the cylinder (10) and each section crosses at least one other section at or near to the axis of said cylinder as viewed along that axis.

Abstract: An injection locked oscillator system for pulsed metal vapor lasers is disclosed. The invention includes the combination of a seeding oscillator with an injection locked oscillator (ILO) for improving the quality, particularly the intensity, of an output laser beam pulse. The present invention includes means for matching the first seeder laser pulses from the seeding oscillator to second laser pulses of a metal vapor laser to improve the quality, and particularly the intensity, of the output laser beam pulse.

Abstract: A metal vapor laser which has an optical cavity, and a sputtering cell arranged at one end. The sputtering cell has a sputtering surface for sputtering metal deposited on the surface or from which the surface is formed. A gas stream is introduced into the cavity for entraining the sputtered metal into a metal vapor beam and the gas stream is introduced such that the gas stream flows substantially parallel to at least a part of the sputtering surface to ensure that the passage for introducing the gas is aligned correctly relative to the sputtering surface, there is provided an insulative ring formed in two portions defining the passage therebetween and the first portion of the ring is moveable with respect to the second portion thereof to align a passage. Two sources of gas are provided for forming the gas stream and are selectively switched so that each source of gas can be selectively coupled to the cavity for forming a gas stream of a particular variety of gas.

Abstract: A gas laser system comprising a frame structure including a support member, a laser discharge tube fixed with respect to the frame structure, and a mirror holding structure comprising a mirror holder member positioned in conjunction with the support member, a reflector mirror received in the mirror holder member and aligned with the laser discharge tube, main retaining means pressing upon the mirror holder member toward the support member in a direction parallel with the center axis of the laser discharge tube, and elastic pressing means urging the mirror holder member away from the support member in a direction parallel with the center axis of the laser discharge tube, wherein the mirror holding structure further comprises auxiliary retaining means provided between the support member and the mirror holder member, the auxiliary retaining means comprising a multi-limb leaf spring having a center axis aligned with the center axis of the laser discharge tube and a plurality of limb portions extending radially fr

Abstract: A phase-locked semiconductor laser array in which the phase of oscillation of alternate laser elements is adjusted externally to the laser cavity. A phase plate having parallel ribs of tapered thickness is positioned in close proximity to the emitting facet of a laser array, and is adjusted in position until the ribs are registered with alternate laser elements, and the thickness presented to the emitted laser beams is sufficient to cause a phase change of 180 degrees. After light from the array has passed through the phase plate, the entire set of beams is in phase and produces a practically single-lobed far-field pattern.

Abstract: Laser apparatus comprising a discharge vessel of thermally insulating material and a protective metal layer disposed on the inner surface of the discharge vessel. During operation of the laser apparatus, copper powder is vaporised to form at least part of the laser active medium. Because of the protective metal layer the discharge vessel wall is prevented from damage due to its contents.

Abstract: A CPM pulse laser device is provided which has a means for emitting pulses in two separate directions. A return system is provided for returning one of the pulses to the laser resonator in such a manner that the returned pulse is superposed on the other pulse which was propagated in the other direction. The return system preferably includes a total reflecting mirror or a nonlinear crystal. The position of the total reflecting mirror or nonlinear crystal is precisely adjusted to create the superposition.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser having high efficiency of luminescence can be obtained by forming a spatial fluctuation of potential so that the potential differs from position to position inside a plane perpendicular to a current flowing direction and electrons and holes or excitons formed by a combination of them can be localized not only in the current flowing direction but also inside the plane perpendicular to the current flowing direction. More definitely, corrugations or ruggedness having a mean pitch of below 100 nm and a level difference of from 1/10 to 1/2 of the mean thickness of an active layer are formed on the surface of the active layer of the semiconductor laser.

Abstract: A laser discharge tube is provide having a ceramic rod of rectangular cross section through which extends a discharge channel and at least one gas return channel, and cooling plates affixed at the larger outside surfaces of the rectangular ceramic rod.

Abstract: A dye laser capable of lasing at a plurality of wavelengths simultaneously, e.g. three, comprises a corresponding plurality of transparent containers 4, 5, 6 located between a partially-reflecting mirror 1 and a tiltably adjustable retroreflecting diffraction grating 2 with the containers transversely staggered. The staggered ends of the containers are irradiated by a shallow beam 9 from a pumping laser 7 and contain separate dye solutions whereof the emission spectra increase in wavelength from container to container starting from that container nearest the pumping laser. There are thus formed three parallel cavities which can lase simultaneously, tuned by the grating 2 operating in three different diffraction orders.

Abstract: Laser light guided by a coupled waveguide (formed by difference in refractive index between n-type and p-type AlGaAs clad layers (2) and (4) and an undoped AlGaAs active layer (3) and difference in refractive index between the p-type AlGaAs clad layers (4) and (7) and a p-type AlGaAs waveguide layer (6)) is guided only by the p-type AlGaAs waveguide layer (6) in the vicinity of end surfaces (40, 42), not to be coupled with the undoped AlGaAs active layer (3). Therefore, surface regions of the end surfaces (40, 42) reflecting the laser light are formed by the p-type AlGaAs clad layers (4, 7) and the p-type AlGaAs waveguide layer (6) being larger in forbidden bandwidth.

Abstract: For operating a laser at different wavelengths, at least one of the two mirrors of the oscillator is subdivided into two or more regions with different spectral reflectivity, where each region reflects only one of the emission wavelengths of the laser medium and is largely permeable for the remaining emission wavelengths. Each such region can be inserted separately into the ray path of the laser.

Abstract: In a gas laser, in particular an ion laser with a discharge tube arranged between a cathode and an anode, the tube is supported with the aid of several disks in a gas-filled support tube. The support tube is surrounded by an outer tube, and a coolant flows through the outer space formed thereby. In order to achieve effective cooling of the discharge tube, the outer space is divided into a plurality of axially-extending sectors, and the support disks contain channels for the passage of the coolant, the inlet and outlet openings which channels open into respective associated sectors of the outer space. Upon operation of the laser, the coolant flows simultaneously in parallel through all of the support disks which are distributed over the entire discharge tube and thus effects a rapid, effective cooling of the discharge tube. The coolant advantageously circulates in a closed coolant circuit, which comprises a thermostat for controlling the temperature of the coolant.

Abstract: A gas laser has a coolable inner electrode for connection to a radio-frequency power source and a coolable outer electrode that is coaxial with and radially spaced from the inner electrode with an excitation space containing the gas to be excited in the radial space between the inner and outer electrodes. With a view to improving a laser of this type in such a way that excitation at higher power with retention of homogeneous discharge is possible, that gas decomposition is slower, and that any desired liquid coolant can be used regardless of the electrical conditions, the excitation space is radially bounded by two, tubular dielectric bodies which are coaxial with and radially spaced from each other.

Abstract: By optically injecting a single end-element of a semiconductor laser array, both the spatial and spectral emission characteristics of the entire laser array is controlled. With the output of the array locked, the far-field emission angle of the array is continuously scanned over several degrees by varying the injection frequency.

Abstract: The optical cavity of the present laser has a folded optical path with a pair of reflective diffraction gratings and a gain cell in it. A disk with radially distributed perforations rotates in the optical path between the gratings and the gain cell. The laser wavelength depends upon which perforation is aligned with the slot in a slotted plate also in the optical path. The laser output consists of a sequence of different wavelength but colinear rays.

Abstract: A multiple cavity waveguide laser is formed of a pair of face to face contiguous dielectric blocks 70, 72in the facing surfaces of which are formed pairs of mating waveguide grooves 78, 80, 82, 84having an electrode partition 92 sealed to and between the adjacent mating blocks to separate one pair of waveguide cavities from another, thereby forming four closely spaced waveguide cavities. In another embodiment, the partition 26 between the two dielectric blocks 10, 12 is thin conductive material, and dielectric partitions 36, 38 are provided between cavities of each pair in a single dielectric block. The internal surfaces 40, 42, 44, 47 of each cavity opposite the common electrode 26 are plated with an electrically conductive material, and suitable electrical connections 56, 58, 18 are made from the internal electrodes to the exterior of the blocks.

Abstract: A solid state laser medium for use in a solid state laser oscillator uses a hollow cylindrical solid state laser medium which is formed cylindrically in order to improve the cooling efficiency of the laser. The laser includes a pumping device for exciting the laser medium and an optical resonator that is arranged on both ends in the axial direction of the laser medium. The pumping device includes a plurality of flash lamps that are arranged on the outside, with respect to the central longitudinal access of the laser medium, of the outer surface of the hollow cylindrical laser medium and an outer reflector that is arranged so as to enclose the flash lamps and the laser medium, from the outside, with respect to the central longitudinal access of the laser medium, of the flash lamps, and a cylindrical inner reflector with outer diameter which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the laser medium, the inner reflector being inserted in the cavity of the laser medium.

Abstract: An active layer for laser oscillation and optical guiding layers for guiding laser light sandwiching the active layer therebetween are included in the device. At least one of the optical guiding layers is formed by a superlattice, the optical refractive index of which is lower than that of the active layer. Further, the optical refractive index is gradually decreased in the direction from the portion of the optical guiding layer adjacent to the active layer, to the outside of the optical guiding layer.

Abstract: A silent discharge type laser device which comprises a detector for detecting the amount of electric charges passed between electrodes and controlling means for controlling an output current or voltage of a power supply so that a charge amount detected by the detector is equal to a target level, thereby keeping the passage charge amount always constant.