Improved gas laser and pumping method therefor using a field emitter array
Abstract
This patent application discloses an apparatus and method pumping a gas laser, wherein a field emitter is used to emit electrons into the gas to effect laser pumping. The low energy electrons emitted by field emitters, and the fine controllability of electron energy permitted by field emitters, enables one to effect population inversion of the laser gas, without ionizing the gas, or causing electrical breakdown.
- Publication:
-
Patent Application Department of the Navy
- Pub Date:
- September 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990padn.reptS....G
- Keywords:
-
- Arrays;
- Electrons;
- Emitters;
- Energy Levels;
- Field Emission;
- Gas Lasers;
- Laser Pumping;
- Electrical Faults;
- Electron Energy;
- Patent Applications;
- Population Inversion;
- Lasers and Masers