Abstract: A closed cycle chemical laser adapted for continuous wave operation is disclosed. A first gas such as sulphur hexafluoride is decomposed by an electrical discharge means to provide at least some fluorine atoms which when combined with molecular hydrogen in a mixing chamber located upstream of and proximate to an optical power extraction chamber forms an excited laser species capable of stimulated emission to produce a continuous wave output beam. After passing through the optical cavity the effluent is purified by selective absorption and adsorption processes to eliminate the laser species from the effluent and to separate the hydrogen for recirculation back to the mixing chamber. The remaining effluent has its pressure increased, is supplemented with makeup feed gases and is recycled. The operation of the system using sulphur hexafluoride and hydrogen gases is discussed in detail and various combinations of other suitable reactants are disclosed.

Abstract: A chemical laser having means for repeatedly circulating the gaseous working medium in a portable, self-contained system is disclosed. An excited laser species is formed by chemical means and after passing through the optical cavity, the working medium is purified by selective absorption and adsorption processes, increased in pressure, supplemented with makeup feed reactants and recycled. The operation of a system using deuterium and sulfur hexafluoride gases is discussed in detail although various combinations of other suitable reactants which provide a halogen and hydrogen or an isotope thereof are disclosed.

Abstract: A new resonator concept which is especially useful in chemical laser applications is disclosed. A ring end mirror, a conical folding mirror and a circular end mirror are combined to form an unstable resonator including a radial direction propagation having a gain medium region and a region of axial direction propagation. Alternate embodiments of the invention include the use of nonreflective fins in the region containing the working medium to suppress superfluorescence and an aerodynamic window to keep depleted working medium out of the path of the resonant beam.