JPH0318077A - Metal vapor laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the inductance of a pulse circuit and to apply sharp voltage to between a cathode and an anode so as to obtain high efficiency by arranging switches so that they may surround the periphery of a discharge tube. CONSTITUTION:Switches are constituted by field effect transistors(FETs) 7 connected in series and parallel. Moreover, an outer casing has an insulating guide 8 made of an insulator, and the series-parallel connectings of FETs 7 are arranged coaxially with a discharge inner pipe 13, surrounding the periphery of the insulating guide 8, and one side is connected to a capacitor 4, and the other side is connected to an anode flange 20. When high voltage is charged to the capacitor 4, if the FETs 7 are made conductive, the high voltage charged to the capacitor 4 is applied between a cathode 12 and an anode 12 through FETs 7, and it forms discharge at the discharge inner tube 13. Hereby, the inductance of a pulse circuit can be made small, and sharp voltage can be applied between the cathode and the anode, and high efficiency can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a metal vapor laser, and particularly to the configuration of its pulse generation circuit.

[Conventional technology]

Figure 2 shows, for example, 1981 Laser Research, Volume 9, No. 2.
1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing a conventional metal vapor laser shown in ``Manufacturing of copper vapor laser'', in which (b) is a high voltage power supply, (1) is a charging reactor, (2) is a charging diode, and (3) is a high voltage power supply. is a thyratron, (4) is a capacitor, <5)
is the thyratron plate, (6) is the capacitor plate, (9) is the cathode flange, 00 is the outer cylinder, qυ is the cathode, 4 is the anode, αJ
is discharge inner tube, Q4 is insulation wool, Q5 is sealed tube, C
IQ is the window, Q7) is the copper grain, α pull vacuum layer, O field is the insulation break, and 4 is the anode flange.

Next, the operation will be explained. From the high voltage power supply (b) to the capacitor (4), charging reactor (1), charging diode (
High voltage is charged through the 2nd voltage. When the thyratron (3) is turned on, the thyratron plate (5) and the capacitor (4)
A high voltage is applied to the cathode αυ and the anode (g) through the capacitor plate (6), the cathode flange (9), the anode flange, and the outer tube. The voltage applied to the cathode aυ and the terminal electrode 04 forms a pulse discharge within the discharge inner tube made of ceramic or the like. When electric power is supplied to the discharge inner tube αJ by electric discharge, the inside of the discharge inner tube 0 is heated to a high temperature of about 1500 degrees due to the heat shielding effect of the vacuum layer (d) and the heat insulating wool Q4 formed by the seal tube α. be done. As a result, copper grain a
'I) is evaporated and supplies sufficient copper vapor to the discharge inner tube 0. Further, when a pulse discharge is performed in the discharge inner tube α4, copper vapor is excited by the discharge, laser oscillation occurs, and laser light is output from the window 049.

In order to sufficiently excite the copper vapor by discharge and increase laser efficiency, it is necessary to apply a steeper voltage to the cathode αD and the anode 4. For this reason, the inductance of the discharge current path must be made as small as possible. In particular, the thyratron circuit consisting of the thyratron (3), capacitor plate (6), thyratron plate (5), and capacitor (4) should be constructed using parallel plates, etc. Efforts have been made to improve the wiring.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional metal vapor lasers are configured as described above, so the inductance of the pulse circuit consisting of the thyratron (3), capacitor (4), thyratron plate (5), and capacitor plate (6) is not sufficiently small. , it was not possible to supply a sufficiently steep voltage between the cathode αυ and the anode 4.

Therefore, the excitation of the metal vapor is insufficient, resulting in a decrease in laser efficiency.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a highly efficient metal vapor laser device in which the inductance of a pulse circuit can be sufficiently reduced.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the metal vapor laser device according to the present invention, the switch is arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the discharge tube.

[Effect]

In the metal vapor laser device according to the present invention, since the switches are arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the discharge, the inductance of the pulse circuit is extremely small, and a steep voltage can be applied to the cathode and anode, making it possible to use highly efficient metal vapor lasers. We can provide laser equipment.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing a copper vapor laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (7) is a switch made of semiconductors such as FETs, and
are connected in series and parallel.

Further, (8) is an insulated guide.

The copper vapor laser device configured as described above is surrounded by an insulating guide (3) made of an insulating material instead of the conventional outer cylinder QO. Furthermore, an insulation guide? A series-parallel connection of FET (7) surrounding the outer periphery of 8) is arranged coaxially with the discharge inner tube Q:1. One of the FET (7) connected in series and parallel is connected to the capacitor (4), and the other to the anode flange.

In the configuration shown in Fig. 1, when the capacitor (4) is charged with a high voltage, when the FET (7) is made conductive, the high voltage charged in the capacitor (4) becomes FET(7).
The voltage is applied between the cathode 0υ and the anode ■■■, forming a discharge in the inner discharge tube G3.

In such a configuration, the pulse circuit and the copper vapor laser tube are actually integrated, so that the inductance of the conventional pulse circuit no longer exists. For example, in a conventional large diameter copper vapor laser device, the inductance of the pulse circuit is about 300 nH and the inductance of the laser tube is also about 3 oonH.

If the applied voltage is Vd, the maximum rise of the current flowing through the discharge inner tube (c) due to discharge is expressed as di/dt=Vd/L, where L is the total inductance of the pulse circuit and laser tube. be done. In other words, the smaller the total inductance, the higher the current rise.

According to this invention, since there is no inductance in the pulse circuit, for example, in a large-diameter copper vapor laser device, the total inductance is reduced by about half, and therefore the current rise is about twice as large. is sufficiently excited, and high laser efficiency can be obtained.

Furthermore, if the inductance of the circuit is reduced, the ineffective components of the discharge power will be extremely reduced, and the inner discharge tube aJ can be heated to about 1500 degrees with the lowest input power.

Further, since neither electric field nor magnetic field leaks to the outside of the copper vapor laser device, the occurrence of noise to others is extremely reduced.

In addition, according to the above embodiment, the insulation guide (8) and the FET (
7) are installed separately, but F E T (7)
It may also serve as an insulating guide.

In the above practical example, F E 'I'' (7) was used as the semiconductor, but other semiconductors may be used.

In addition, in the above embodiment, FET (7) is installed coaxially around the outer circumference of the discharge inner tube Cl4, but the
There is no problem even if it is the outer periphery of the east and has a polygonal shape.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the switches are arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the discharge tube, the inductance of the discharge circuit becomes extremely small, and a voltage with a high steepness can be supplied between the cathode and the anode. By obtaining a high emission QCN flow, a highly efficient gold vapor laser device can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a metal vapor laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a conventional metal vapor laser device. (b) High voltage sth, (4)...Capacitor, (7)
... FET, (8) ... Insulation guide, α4 ... Discharge inner tube, α9 ... Seal tube. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A capacitor is charged with a high voltage from a high voltage power source, and the high voltage is conducted through a switch, thereby causing a discharge in a discharge tube and generating a laser beam. A metal vapor laser device characterized in that: