JPS63239888A - Gas laser oscillator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To suppress the absorption of laser light with the laser medium gas of an extension and to stabilize a laser output by disposing external communication means for supplying and exhausting the gas to the extensions of both ends of a discharge tube. CONSTITUTION:A first inlet tube 8a is attached to a duct 2a connected between extension ducts 2 and 2 provided with oblique reflecting mirrors M2, M3. Second and third inlet tubes 8b, 8c are attached to the ducts 2, 2 of remote side from a communication duct 5, and a fourth inlet tube 8d is attached to the duct 2 provided with a reflecting mirror M1 of near side. Accordingly, each time laser medium gas is replaced, the gas of the duct 2 is combined with laser medium gas circulating stream. Thus, the rise of gas temperature due to the absorption of the laser light in the duct 2 can be suppressed to obtain a stable laser output.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a gas laser oscillator, and more particularly to a gas laser oscillator that can provide stable laser light.

[Prior Art] A conventional device of this kind will be explained based on FIG. This figure is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional device, and the gas laser oscillator is equipped with two discharge tubes (1), (1), and extension ducts (2) as extensions at both ends of each discharge tube (1).
) are installed in a row, and each extension duct (2) has a reflection at the end! (1 to (M4) are installed.

Further, at both ends of one discharge tube (1), ducts (3), (4) perpendicular to this are connected to the extension ducts (2), (
2), and each duct (
3).

The extended end of (4) is formed to communicate with the discharge tube (1) through a parallel communication duct (5). A heat exchanger (6) and a fan (7) are installed approximately in the middle of the communication duct (5).
) (arranged sequentially, the high-temperature laser medium gas from the discharge tubes (1), (1) is sucked while cooling through one duct (4), and is cooled through the other duct (3). Laser medium gas into the discharge tube (1).

(1) is circulated.

Furthermore, a gas introduction pipe (8) and a gas exhaust pipe (9) for supplying and discharging laser medium gas are attached to the communication duct (5), so that deteriorated laser medium gas can be replaced as appropriate.

Then, a voltage is applied to the discharge tubes (1), (1) to generate discharge energy and excite the laser medium gas inside the discharge tubes (1), (1), and laser light is generated from the excited gas. Bumping is performed by the reflecting mirrors (M+) to (M4) at both extended ends of the discharge tubes (1) and (1). In other words, the reflecting mirrors □L) and (M2) are connected to the communication duct (
5) is arranged at the extended end of the discharge tube (1), one reflecting mirror (M,) is positioned orthogonal to the axis of the discharge tube (1), and the other reflecting mirror (M2) are inclined at 45 degrees. Therefore, the laser light generated in the discharge tube (1) is transmitted from the other reflecting mirror (M2) to the other discharge tube (1).
), and is further transmitted to the mirror (M4). The thus generated laser beam sequentially obtains discharge energy while reciprocating between the reflecting mirrors (M r ) or M4), and the laser beam that has reached a desired energy value is transferred to the reflecting mirror (M4) formed as a partial reflecting mirror.
) is ejected to the outside.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] According to the above configuration, the laser medium gas is connected to the discharge tube (t),
(1), ducts (3), (4) and connecting ducts (
5), while the laser medium gas existing in each extension duct (2) does not circulate and most of it remains.

Irrespective of the above-mentioned circulation and retention of gas, the laser light is present at each location and passes through the medium gas. Then, the laser light is absorbed by the laser medium gas, particularly the stagnant gas, and increases the gas temperature. It is generally known that the absorption efficiency of laser light increases rapidly as the gas temperature rises, but this phenomenon can also be observed in a stagnant laser medium. increases, and the laser light is absorbed more and more efficiently, which has been an obstacle to obtaining stable laser light.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and by preventing the laser medium gas in the extension duct (2) from stagnation, the absorption of the laser light invited to the extension duct (2) is reduced, and the laser light is stabilized. The present invention provides a gas laser oscillator that can obtain a high laser output.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides an external communication means for supplying and discharging laser medium gas to and from the extension part in order to eliminate retention of the laser medium gas in the extension part.

[Function] According to the present invention, the laser medium gas in the extension duct joins the circulating laser medium gas or is discharged to the outside by the external communication means provided in the extension duct, so that the gas does not stay in the extension duct. Therefore, the absorption of laser light by the laser medium gas in the extension duct can be significantly suppressed, and the laser output can be stabilized.

[Example] The present invention will be described below based on an example shown in FIG. For convenience of explanation, parts that are the same or equivalent to the conventional ones are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted, and the description will focus on the features of this embodiment.The gas laser oscillator according to this embodiment is as follows.
It is characterized in that laser medium gas introduction tubes (8a) to (8d) are attached to an extension duct (2) connected to a discharge tube (1). That is, the inclined reflectors (M2), (M3
), the first introduction pipe (8a) is attached to the duct (2a) that communicates between the extension ducts (2) and (2), and the extension duct (2) on the far side from the communication duct (5) is attached. , (
For 2), the second and third introduction pipes (8b) and (8c)
While attaching the fourth introduction pipe (8d) to the extension duct (2) in which the reflector (M+) is arranged, which is on the nearer side and is perpendicular to the axis of the discharge tube (1), The laser oscillator is constructed by omitting the introduction pipe that was conventionally used in the communication duct (5).

Therefore, in the gas laser oscillator of this embodiment, the gas in each extension duct (2) can be made to join the laser medium gas circulation flow every time the laser medium gas is updated.
It is possible to suppress the rise in gas temperature due to the absorption of laser light in the duct (2), and in turn, the rise in the gas temperature does not cause a rapid increase in the absorption efficiency of laser light.
It is possible to always ensure stable laser output.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention. The gas laser oscillator of this embodiment has the introduction tubes (8a) to (8d) used as the introduction section for the laser medium gas in the first embodiment.
are the laser medium gas exhaust pipes (9a) to (9d), respectively.
This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it is configured as follows.

That is, a tilted reflector (M2).

(M3), the first ratio pipe (9a) is attached to the duct (2a) that communicates between the extension ducts (2) and (2), and the extension duct (9a) on the far side from the communication duct (5) is attached. 2
), second and third discharge pipes (9b) for (2),
(9c), and an extension duct (on the near side) equipped with a reflector (Ml) perpendicular to the axis of the discharge tube (1).
The laser oscillator is constructed by attaching a fourth exhaust pipe (9d) to 2), while omitting the exhaust pipe that was conventionally used in the connecting dark (5). In this embodiment, the laser medium gas remaining in the extension ducts (2) and (2) is discharged to the outside through each exhaust pipe (9a) to (9d), so that the gas temperature increases as in the first embodiment. can be suppressed, and stable laser output can always be ensured.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate partial retention of the laser medium gas within the laser oscillator, thereby significantly suppressing the absorption of the generated laser light by the retained gas, which has been a problem in the past. It is possible to obtain stable laser output.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser oscillator showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram equivalent to FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram equivalent to FIG. 1 showing a conventional device. It is a diagram. In the figure, (1) is the discharge tube, (2) is the extension duct (extension part), and (11!l) or M4) is the reflector. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Agent Masu Oiwa Miscellaneous work Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pair of reflecting mirrors are disposed at the ends of both extensions from both ends of the discharge tube, and the laser medium gas is circulated within the discharge tube through the extensions, and the discharge energy generated in the discharge tube causes the laser medium gas to be In a gas laser oscillator that excites the laser beam and oscillates a laser beam by the pumping action of the pair of reflecting mirrors, an external communication supplying and discharging a laser medium gas to and from the extension part in order to eliminate retention of the laser medium gas in the extension part. A gas laser oscillator characterized in that a means is provided.