JPH0480551B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The hollow cathode metal vapor laser of the present invention will be explained in accordance with the following items.

A. Industrial application field B. Summary of the invention C. Prior art D. Problem to be solved by the invention E. Means for solving the problem F. Example a. Shell tube [Figures 1 and 2] b. Hollow cathode [Fig. 1, Fig. 2] c Anode [Fig. 1, Fig. 2] d Cathode [Fig. 1] e Temperature control device [Fig. 1] f Insulator [Fig. 1] g Buffer gas supply source [Fig. [Fig. 1] h Getter supply device [Fig. 1] i Operation G Effects of the invention (A. Field of industrial application) The present invention relates to a novel hollow cathode metal vapor laser. Specifically, the present invention aims to provide a novel hollow cathode metal vapor laser that can obtain multi-wavelength oscillation by individually controlling the vapor pressures of a plurality of active metals.

(B. Summary of the Invention) The hollow cathode metal vapor laser of the present invention has a plurality of metal reservoirs provided in a laser tube that alternately house different types of active metals, and a metal reservoir temperature control device that houses different types of active metals. By providing each metal reservoir separately, it is possible to control the temperature of each metal reservoir individually so that the vapor pressure necessary to obtain laser oscillation for each active metal is achieved, making multicolor oscillation easy. A hollow cathode metal vapor laser that can be obtained can be provided.

(C. Prior Art) In recent years, various hollow cathode metal vapor lasers using hollow cathode discharge have been proposed. This type of laser is capable of polychromatic oscillation due to its excitation intensity, and has excellent features not found in liquid lasers or solid-state lasers.

(D. Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Therefore, the present invention has been made for the purpose of providing a hollow cathode metal vapor laser using a plurality of active metals in order to obtain even more multi-colored laser oscillation. It is something.

(E. Means for Solving Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the hollow cathode metal vapor laser of the present invention alternately stores different types of active metals in a large number of metal reservoirs provided in the laser tube. In order to be able to control the temperature of each active metal separately, a metal reservoir temperature control device is provided for each metal reservoir storing different types of active metals.

Therefore, according to the hollow cathode metal vapor laser of the present invention, the heating temperature of the metal reservoir containing different types of active metals can be controlled individually, so that the temperature required for laser oscillation can be adjusted individually for each active metal. It is possible to control the vapor pressure to an optimum value, and it is easy to obtain multicolor oscillation.

(F. Example) The details of the hollow cathode metal vapor laser of the present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated examples. 1 in the figure is a laser tube.

(a Outer shell tube [Figures 1 and 2]) 2 is an outer shell tube having a substantially cylindrical shape, and is made of glass, and its openings at both ends are closed by brewster windows 3 and 4, The inside is kept secret.

5, 5, ... are the main anode mounting parts formed in the center of the outer shell tube 2, and the bottom part of the approximately bowl-shaped body formed of the same glass as the material glass of the outer shell tube 2 is cut out. The opening edge is integrally welded to the outer shell tube 2. These main anode mounting portions 5, 5, . . . are formed with substantially the same pitch.

Reference numerals 6 and 6 denote auxiliary anode mounting portions, which are formed at positions spaced from the main anode mounting portions 5, 5, . ing.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a cathode mounting portion, which is also formed in the same manner as the anode mounting portions 5, 5, . ing.

8, 8, . . . are metal reservoirs for storing active metals that are metal vapor generating materials, and are formed by bulging the side wall of the outer shell tube 2 outward into a substantially bowl-like shape. There is.

These metal reservoirs 8, 8, . . . are formed at substantially the same pitch as the main anode mounting portions 5, 5, . . . and are shifted by a half pitch.
Further, among these metal reservoirs, one active metal such as cadmium (Cd) is stored in 8a, 8a, and 8a, and another active metal such as zinc (Zn) is stored in 8b and 8b.

(b Hollow cathode [Figures 1 and 2]) 9 is a hollow cathode. The hollow cathode 9 is made of an electrically conductive material and is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape, with a central hole serving as a cathode bore 10.

The outer diameter of the hollow cathode 9 is formed to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of the outer shell tube 2, and the hollow cathode 9 is fixedly fitted into the outer shell tube 2.

The hollow cathode 9 has holes 11, 11, . . . corresponding to the main anode mounting portions 5, 5, .
The metal reservoir 8 formed in the outer shell tube 2 in the same manner as
Holes 12, 12, . . . corresponding to holes 8, . . . are formed.

(c Anode [Figures 1 and 2]) 13a to 13f are main anodes made of tungsten, molybdenum, etc., and main anode mounting parts 5, 5, It is attached to... via sealing glasses 14, 14,....

The tips of these main anodes 13a to 13f are exposed to the cathode bore 10 through holes 11, 11, . . . formed in the outer shell tube 2. In addition, the main anodes 13a to 1
The tip of 3f is located slightly outside the position corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the hollow cathode 9.

15, 15, . . . are ring-shaped insulators, which are attached so as to cover the inner peripheral surfaces of the holes 11, 11, . . . formed in the hollow cathode 9.

Similar to the main anode, 16a and 16b are auxiliary anodes made of tungsten, molybdenum, etc., and are attached to auxiliary anode mounting portions 6, 6 integrally formed in the outer shell tube 2 through sealing glasses 14, 14. installed.

(d Cathode [Fig. 1]) Reference numeral 17 denotes a cathode wire, which is also made of tungsten, molybdenum, etc., and is attached to the cathode mounting portion 7 via the sealing glass 14 and connected to the hollow cathode 9. .

(e Temperature control device [Fig. 1]) 18, 18, ... are heaters, among which,
18a, 18a, 18a are metal reservoirs 8a, 8a, 8
18b, 18b are arranged so as to surround metal reservoirs 8b, 8b.

19a and 19b are temperature control devices;
are connected to the heaters 18a, 18a, 18a,
19b is connected to 18b, 18b. Therefore, the heaters 18a, 18a, 18a are controlled by the temperature control device 19a, and the heaters 18b, 18a are controlled by the temperature control device 19a.
18b is controlled by a temperature control device 19b.

(f Insulator [FIG. 1]) Reference numerals 20 and 20 are cylindrical insulators, which are fixed to both ends of the hollow cathode 9 in a connected manner.

The tips of the insulators 20, 20 are positioned to cover about a quarter of the inner openings of the auxiliary anode attachment parts 6, 6 from the end near the center of the outer shell tube 2.

21 and 21 are also cylindrical metals or insulators,
It is fixed to the outer shell tube 2 in an internally fitted manner at the end near the brew star windows 3 and 4. And this insulator 2
The inner diameter of the outer shell tube 2 is substantially reduced at portions 1 and 21.

(g buffer gas supply source [Figure 1]) 22 is buffer gas, for example, helium (He)
This is a gas supply device.

23 is a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the buffer gas in the laser tube 1, and when the buffer gas pressure decreases, outputs a notification to that effect to the buffer gas pressure control device 24;
drives the buffer gas supply device 22 to replenish the buffer gas into the laser tube 1 until it reaches an appropriate pressure.

(h Getter supply device [FIG. 1]) 25 is a getter supply device for forming a getter film for removing impurities within the laser tube 1.

(i Operation) The metal reservoirs 8, 8, ... contain active metals, for example, the metal reservoirs 8a, 8a, 8a contain cadmium (Cd) 26,
26, 26 are stored, and metal reservoirs 8b, 8b
contains zinc (Zn) 27,27. Furthermore,
A necessary buffer gas, for example, He gas, is supplied into the laser tube 1 by the buffer gas supply device 22 .

Therefore, when a required voltage is applied between the main anodes 13a to 13f and the auxiliary anodes 16a, 16b and the hollow cathode 9, a negative glow discharge is generated between the main anodes 13a to 13f and the cathode 9. Then, due to the heat loss of this negative glow discharge and heating of the heater 18, Cd vapor and Zn vapor are generated.
Excited particles such as He ions transition to a higher energy level, and laser oscillation begins.
Incidentally, at this time, the metal reservoir temperature control devices 19a, 19
heaters 18a, 18a, 18a and 1
8b and 18b are controlled separately to form metal reservoirs 8a and 8.
The active metals 26, 26, 26 and 27, 27 contained in a, 8a and 8b, 8b are evaporated, and the pressure of each metal vapor in the cathode bore 10 becomes a value necessary to obtain laser oscillation. Do it like this.

It should be noted that Cd vapor and Zn exit from both ends of the cathode bore 10 and head toward the brew star windows 3 and 4.
The vapor is blown back by the auxiliary anodes 16a, 16b and returned into the cathode bore 10.

The insulators 21, 21 also prevent metal vapor from going towards the brewster windows 3, 4.

Then, as mentioned above, inside the laser tube 1,
When the He gas pressure decreases, He gas is supplied from the helium gas supply device 22 into the laser tube 1.

The He-Cd and Zn lasers mentioned above have wavelengths of 441.6nm, 533.7nm, 537.8nm, 635.5nm,
For each wavelength of 636.0nm, 491.2nm for Zn,
It was confirmed that laser oscillations of wavelengths of 492.4 nm, 589.4 nm, 602.1 nm, and 610.3 nm could be obtained.

In the above example, two types of active metals are used, but three types, for example, Cd, Zn,
It is also possible to use Se or more types of active metals. Of course, in that case, it is natural that the number of metal reservoir temperature control devices be prepared according to the type of active metal to be used, and the plurality of metal reservoirs are arranged in groups according to the number of active metals. Each group is separately controlled by a separate metal reservoir temperature control device.

A device that emits multicolor oscillation as described above is extremely useful as a laser light source for chemical analysis, other measurements, and research.

(G. Effect of the invention) As is clear from the above description, the hollow cathode metal vapor laser of the present invention alternately stores different types of active metals in a large number of metal reservoirs provided in the laser tube, and The present invention is characterized in that a metal reservoir temperature control device is provided separately for each metal reservoir storing different types of active metals so that the temperature of each metal can be controlled separately.

Therefore, according to the hollow cathode metal vapor laser of the present invention, the heating temperature of the metal reservoir containing different types of active metals can be controlled individually, so that the temperature required for laser oscillation can be adjusted individually for each active metal. It is possible to control the vapor pressure to an optimum value, and it is easy to obtain multicolor oscillation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an example of the implementation of the hollow cathode metal vapor laser of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line - in FIG. 1. Explanation of symbols, 1...Laser tube, 8a...Metal reservoir, 8b...Metal reservoir, 9...Hollow cathode, 19a
...Metal reservoir temperature control device, 19b...Metal reservoir temperature control device, 26...Active metal, 27...Active metal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a hollow cathode metal vapor laser that uses a hollow cathode to generate laser light using negative glow discharge, different types of active metals are alternately stored in a large number of metal reservoirs provided in a laser tube. A hollow cathode type metal characterized in that a metal reservoir temperature control device is provided separately for each metal reservoir storing different types of active metals so that the temperature can be controlled separately for each active metal. steam laser.