Jersey Nuclear-avco Isotopes, Inc.

Avco Research Laboratory, Inc.

Charles T Pike

Horace W Furumoto

Lawrence A Levin

George Sargent Janes

Irving Itzkan

John B Marling

Richard H Levy

Henry R Aldag

Keimpe Andringa

A pulsed transformer capable of providing up to 500 kilovolt or higher, 10 nanosecond rise time, and 1000 joule or higher pulses comprising non-conducting or insulated transformer cores each separated by conductive grading rings wherein n coaxial cables in combination with the grading rings are connected in parallel at one end and in series at their other ends. The transformer may function as either an inverting or non-inverting transformer. In a transformer with n cables, if a pulse voltage of V is applied to the input, an output voltage of nV will appear at the output. The cores function to isolate the coxial cables and permit them to be connected in series at their one end. Weight may be minimized by operating the transformer in gaseous Freon rather than transformer oil.

Transmission line pulsed transformer

Method and apparatus for exciting particles in an environment in which a selected isotope, of broadened spectral absorption bandwidth, is exposed to laser radiation having a frequency bandwidth substantially narrower than the spectral width. The laser radiation is frequency swept entirely across the broadened spectral width of the absorption band of the selected isotope type particles to provide spectral matching with substantially all of these particles. A laser system is provided having the capability of sweeping a narrow spectral emission entirely across a broadened spectral absorption band.

Frequency swept laser system for isotope excitation

A flashlamp excited dye laser capable of high amplification and high pulse repetition rate. An active region of laser amplification is defined in a flowing dye by a long narrow channel created between confronting tube-shaped chambers. Laser excitation is directed into the channel through the transmissive walls of the chambers from flashlamps contained in each of the chambers, but which are thermally isolated from the dye channel. A specific geometry of the chambers provides a structural rigidity for long amplification channels.

Flashlamp excited fluid laser amplifier

Method and apparatus for achieving isotopically selective adiabatic inversion, particularly for improved isotope separation efficiency. In a preferred embodiment for practicing the invention, chirped laser radiation induces photoionization of a vapor state material in isotopically selective excitation and ionization energy steps. A frequency sweep or 'chirp' is provided in the excitation laser radiation at a controlled rate and over a range of frequencies which is limited to prevent loss of selectivity in the excitation. The frequency swept radiation has a theoretical capability of producing 100% inversion of ground state particles in the vapor. The features of the invention additionally permit excitation of a material to very high energy states useful in producing high frequency, ultraviolet lasing.

Adiabatic inversion for selective excitation

A ring laser configuration operative to reduce divergence in the laser beam circulating within the ring and provided as an output. The ring laser configuration includes an odd number of reflectors in the ring path with one or more polarizer crystals for providing input and output coupling. The use of an odd number of reflectors creates an inversion in each pass of the radiation through a flowing active medium within the ring path to provide averaging of the divergence effects of the medium in the flow direction.

Laser ring resonator with divergence compensation

A free jet dye laser having a sheet of fluent laser material bounded along its edges by a pair of opposed guide members. An orifice injects the sheet of laser fluid into the region between the guide members where it flows towards a transparent portion of the guide members through which a beam of laser radiation to be amplified is directed. Pump excitation in the form of laser energy is applied through an exposed surface of the flowing laser material in the region between the transparent portions.

Free jet laser amplifier

A system employing multiple, upper excitation levels in a technique for isotopically selective ionization to improve the ionization efficiency. In a technique which employs laser radiation to excite particles with isotopic selectivity, excitation is produced to a plurality of excited states below the ionization level with the result of increasing the number of available excited particles for ionization and thereby increasing the ionization cross-section for improved system efficiency.

Increased ionization rate in laser enrichment

A nozzle for a free jet dye laser wherein the nozzle orifice has an adjustable convex contour to permit realization of precisely plane parallel sides in the central jet region. A jet of this precision is desired to support a high quality laser beam for use in laser enrichment apparatus. The precise planar characteristic of the central portion of the jet is achieved by a narrowing of the central portion of the nozzle orifice. A set of adjustment screws are provided to define the specific contour of the narrowing to insure that the sides of the free jet are precisely plane parallel. A system is shown for detecting the degree to which the sides are plane parallel so that an optimum adjustment in the orifice can be achieved.

Nozzle for free jet dye laser

A system for stabilizing the frequency of a laser employing the variation in position of interference patterns which results from a variation in laser beam frequency in passing through a Fabry Perot etalon filter. The system is particularly useful for maintaining strict frequency control at a particular frequency in the output of a tunable laser such as a dye laser for use in isotope separation.

Laser wavelength stabilization

A laser amplifier system having plural parallel paths for amplification of laser radiation from a single, stable laser oscillator. The plural paths of laser amplification are excited to produce sequential pulses of amplified output radiation that are interleaved by an optical combining system to produce a single path of amplified, pulsed radiation of increased repetition rate.

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Lexington, MA, United States of America

Charles T Pike