SEALED TUBE TECHNOLOGY AND LONGITUDINAL DISCHARGE METAL VAPOR LASERS

THIS EFFORT IS DIRECTED TOWARD SOLVING THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CONTAINMENT OF THE METAL VAPOR IN A LONGITUDINAL DISCHARGE LASER IN ORDER TO EXTEND IT'S LIFETIME. THE PRESENT STATE OF THE ART METAL VAPOR LASERS HAS NOT DEMONSTRATED A LONG LIFE SOLUTION TO THE VAPOR CONTAINMENT PROBLEM, LARGELY DUE TO THE DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE BONDED DEALS. METATHERM HAS DEVELOPED A DESIGN THAT PERMITS CONSTRUCTION OF THE CONTAINMENT AND DISCHARGE VOLUME WITHOUT THE USE OF SUCH SEALS. THE PROPOSED EFFORT WILL DEMONSTRATE THE ADEQUACY OF THE LASER VAPOR CONTAINMENT DESIGN BY MAINTAINING THE METAL VAPOR PARTIAL PRESSURE AT THE REQUIRED VALUE FOR A LONGITUDINAL DISCHARGE OPERATION FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO PROJECT THE LIFE TIME OF A LASER BASED ON THESE DESIGN PRINCIPLES.