JPH03165584A - X-ray preionized gas laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a gas laser device which is small in size and able to output a large laser output energy to an electrical input energy by a method wherein X-ray lead-out windows are arranged at positions around a target where X-rays are scattered, and discharge spaces are arranged at positions to be irradiated with X-rays which are emitted through the windows concerned. CONSTITUTION:An electron beam generated at an electron gun 2 of an X-ray generating section 1 is made to impact against a target 3 and generates X-rays through control radiation. The X-rays are made to irradiate two discharge spaces 4 through two X-ray lead-out windows 6 equally distant from the target 3 to preionize laser medium. A discharge is made to start between pairs of electrodes 7 arranged on the ends of the discharge spaces 4 to obtain a laser oscillation. At this point, an X-ray preionized gas laser device of this design is smaller than a conventional one provided with two X-ray generating sections in number of X-ray generating sections by one but able to preionize two discharge spaces equally, so that it is able to oscillate laser rays of large power.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention provides Xl! The present invention relates to a pre-ionized gas laser device.

[Conventional technology]

Regarding the conventional X-ray preionization gas laser device, see the literature [
Applied Physics Letter
Physics Letter), 1983, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 149 to 151, so the details will be omitted. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional X-ray preionization gas laser device described in the above-mentioned document. X-rays generated in the X-ray generating section 1 arranged outside the laser container 5 are introduced into the inside of the laser container through the X-ray extraction window 6. The laser gas in a space (hereinafter referred to as a discharge space) 4 in which discharge is performed for laser excitation, which is disposed inside the laser container, is ionized by the introduced X-rays, and electron and ion pairs are generated. If the density of these electron-ion pairs is sufficient, the discharge for laser excitation between the pair of electrodes 7 can be made into a stable glow discharge,
Laser oscillation can be obtained.

Here, if a large laser output is required, a configuration can be considered in which two lasers are used, one of which is used as an oscillator and the other used as an amplifier. FIG. 3 is an external view of a conventional X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device in which an oscillator and an amplifier are constructed using two lasers.

As in the case described above, the discharge space 4a of the laser container 5a is pre-ionized by the X-rays generated in the X-ray generator 1a, and laser oscillation is obtained by stable glow discharge.

On the other hand, the discharge space 4b in the laser container 5b is also pre-ionized by the X-ray generator 1b, and the laser medium is excited by stable glow discharge. Here, when the laser light oscillated in the discharge space 4a is introduced into the discharge space 4b, the laser light is amplified in the discharge space 4b, and a large laser output can be obtained.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In conventional X-ray pre-ionization gas laser equipment, when using a configuration consisting of an oscillator and an amplifier to obtain a large laser output, two X-ray generators and two laser containers are required, resulting in a large equipment size. However, there is a problem that the laser output energy is small compared to the electrical input energy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems and provide an X-ray preionization gas laser device that is compact and can obtain large laser output energy relative to electrical input energy.

[Means to solve the problem]

The X-ray pre-ionized gas laser device according to the present invention includes one X-ray generating section that generates X-rays by controlled radiation by colliding an electron beam from an electron gun with a target, and an X-ray generating section that extracts X-rays from the X-ray generating section. A position where the X-rays around the target diverge, having at least a plurality of discharge spaces that are pre-ionized by the X-rays taken out from the extraction window and the X-ray extraction window and excite the laser medium by discharge between a pair of electrodes. Each X-ray extraction window is placed in the
The structure is characterized in that each discharge space is arranged at a position where a line is emitted.

[Effect]

The X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device according to the present invention has an X-ray generation section, at least two X-ray extraction windows, and a discharge space for performing discharge for laser excitation, and X-rays are emitted from the X-ray generation section. Each of the discharge spaces is arranged at a position.

X-rays emitted from the target of the X-ray generator diverge as the distance from the target increases, so by arranging multiple X-ray extraction windows and discharge spaces at the positions where the X-rays diverge, each discharge space can be X-rays can be guided and pre-ionized. In this case, only one X-ray generating section is required for each discharge space, and the device can therefore be made smaller. Also, the electrical input energy is reduced by the fact that only one X-ray generator is required. As a result, it is possible to provide an X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device that solves the conventional problems.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained using the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of an X-ray preionization gas laser device according to the invention. The electron beam generated in the electron gun 2 of the X-ray generator 1 collides with the target 3 and generates X-rays by bremsstrahlung radiation. These X-rays are irradiated into the two discharge spaces 4 through the two X-ray extraction windows 6 that are at the same distance from the cod gate to pre-ionize the laser medium. Here, the X-rays generated at the target 3 are isotropically diverged with uniform intensity at an angle close to the incident direction of the electron beam. Therefore, the intensity of the X-rays in each discharge space is equal, and there is the same pre-ionization effect as when each discharge space is irradiated with X-rays from a separate X-ray generating section. this,
A discharge is generated between a pair of electrodes 7 placed at both ends of the discharge space to obtain laser oscillation. At this time, the X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device according to the present invention has one less X-ray generating section than the conventional case having two X-ray generating sections, and is compact. Further, although the electrical input energy is less than that of one X-ray generating section, a large laser output can be obtained because the two discharge spaces can be pre-ionized in the same way.

In addition, in the above example, the case is described in which there are two discharge spaces, but it is also possible to have three or more, and if the required X-ray intensity is different in each discharge space,
The respective discharge spaces may be arranged at different distances from the target.Furthermore, in the above example, each discharge space 4 is arranged in separate laser containers 5, but it may be arranged in one laser container. You may.

Furthermore, the X-ray pre-ionized gas laser device according to the present invention can oscillate different types of laser light by using a plurality of discharge spaces for injection locking or by putting different types of laser media into each discharge space. It is possible. In these cases as well, the advantages of a small device and good energy efficiency are the same.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device that solves the conventional problems and is compact and can obtain large laser output energy with respect to electrical input energy. Can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device using two lasers. 1 is an external view of a conventional X-ray preionization gas laser device configured with an oscillator and an amplifier. In the figure, 1. la, lb...X-ray generation part, 2...
・Electron gun, 3...Target, 4.4a, 4b...
Discharge space, 5.5a, 5b... Laser container, 6...
X-ray extraction window, 7... electrode.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a gas laser device that uses X-ray preionization for preionization of a gas laser, one
a ray generating section, a plurality of X-ray extraction windows that take out X-rays from the X-ray generation section, and a laser medium that is pre-ionized by the X-rays taken out from the X-ray extraction windows and that is activated by a discharge between a pair of electrodes. at least a plurality of discharge spaces to be excited, a plurality of X-ray extraction windows are arranged at positions from which X-rays around the target are emitted, and each of the X-ray extraction windows is arranged at a position from which X-rays are emitted from the X-ray extraction windows. An X-ray pre-ionization gas laser device characterized by disposing a discharge space.