Jersey Nuclear-avco Isotopes, Inc.

Henry R Aldag

Charles T Pike

Jaime A Woodroffe

John B Marling

Richard G Morton

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

A flow channel for a dye laser having means for reducing thermal and pressure variations in the flowing laser medium particularly in the vicinity of active lasing in order to permit high power and high pulse rate lasing with a high quality, low divergence output beam. Pressure disturbances and turbulence are minimized with a number of flow design techniques including a configured input conduit for even pressure drop, a set of turbulence reducing screens, as well as a hydraulic pressure damping capacitor on both input and output ends of the flow channel, either side of the excitation window. A porous wall is used to exhaust the medium and isolate the lasing region from downstream effects. In addition, cooling of the conduit just upstream of the region of active lasing reduces temperature disturbances resulting from applied excitation to further minimize its disturbing effect on laser beam quality and lasing efficiency.

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Boston, MA, United States of America

Henry R Aldag