Metal atom oxidation laser
First Claim
1. A CHEMICAL LASER WHICH COMPRISES (A) AN OPTICAL GAIN REGION (B) MEANS FOR CONTAINING A GASEOUS OXIDIZER WITHIN SAID GAIN REGION, (C) A GASEOUS OXIDIZER CONTAINED WITHIN SAID CAVITY, (D) MEANS FOR FORMING AND MIXING COPIOUS QUANTITIES OF METAL ATOMS WITH SAID OXIDIZER TO FORM MOLECULES CONTAINING SAID METAL ATOMS AND HAVING A POPULATION INVERSION THEREIN, SAID METAL AND SAID OXIDIZER BEING SO SELECTED THAT THE REACTION OF SAID OXIDIZER WITH SAID METAL ATOMS TO FORM MOLECULES CONTAINING SAID METAL ATOMS IS HIGHLY EXOTHERMIC AND SAID OXIDIZER BEING AT A PRESSURE AT WHICH THE LASING THRESHOLD IS EXCEEDED, AND (E) MEANS FOR STIMULATING A BEAM OF LASER RADIATION IS SAID INVERTED MOLECULES.
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Abstract
A chemical laser which operates by formation of metal or carbon atoms and reaction of such atoms with a gaseous oxidizer in an optical resonant cavity. The lasing species are diatomic or polyatomic in nature and are readily produced by exchange or other abstraction reactions between the metal or carbon atoms and the oxidizer. The lasing molecules may be metal or carbon monohalides or monoxides.
19 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A CHEMICAL LASER WHICH COMPRISES (A) AN OPTICAL GAIN REGION (B) MEANS FOR CONTAINING A GASEOUS OXIDIZER WITHIN SAID GAIN REGION, (C) A GASEOUS OXIDIZER CONTAINED WITHIN SAID CAVITY, (D) MEANS FOR FORMING AND MIXING COPIOUS QUANTITIES OF METAL ATOMS WITH SAID OXIDIZER TO FORM MOLECULES CONTAINING SAID METAL ATOMS AND HAVING A POPULATION INVERSION THEREIN, SAID METAL AND SAID OXIDIZER BEING SO SELECTED THAT THE REACTION OF SAID OXIDIZER WITH SAID METAL ATOMS TO FORM MOLECULES CONTAINING SAID METAL ATOMS IS HIGHLY EXOTHERMIC AND SAID OXIDIZER BEING AT A PRESSURE AT WHICH THE LASING THRESHOLD IS EXCEEDED, AND (E) MEANS FOR STIMULATING A BEAM OF LASER RADIATION IS SAID INVERTED MOLECULES.
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2. The laser of claim 1 wherein said means for stimulating is an optical resonant cavity.
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3. The laser of claim 2 wherein said molecules are a metal monohalide.
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4. The laser of claim 3 wherein said molecules are a metal monofluoride.
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5. The laser of claim 2 wherein said oxidizer is selected from the class consisting of Cl2, F2, NF3, and O2.
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6. The laser of claim 5 wherein said oxidizer is F2 and said metal atoms are selected from the class consisting of V, Zn, Zr, Mo, Ag, Ta, and Pb.
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7. The laser of claim 5 wherein said oxidizer is O2 and said metal atoms are refractory metal atoms.
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8. The laser of claim 7 wherein said oxidizer contains 1 to 10 mole percent of H2O or H2O2.
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9. The laser of claim 8 wherein said metal atoms are V, Zr, Mo, Ti, Ta, W, or U.
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10. The laser of claim 5 wherein said oxidizer is Cl2 and said metal atoms are U.
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11. A method of producing molecules having a population inversion therein which comprises forming and reacting copious quantities of metal atoms with a gaseous oxidizer to form molecules containing said metal atoms, said oxidizer and said metal being so selected that the reaction of said oxidizer with said metal atoms to form inverted molecules containing said metal atoms is highly exothermic.
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12. The method of claim 11 wherein said oxidizer is selected from the class consisting of Cl2, F2, NF3, and O2.
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13. The method of claim 12 wherein said oxidizer is F2 and said metal atoms are selected from the class consisting of V, Zn, Zr, Mo, Ag, Ta, and Pb.
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14. The method of claim 12 wherein said oxidizer is O2 and said metal atoms are refractory metal atoms.
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15. The method of claim 14 wherein said oxidizer contains 1 to 10 mole percent of H2O or H2O2.
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16. The method of claim 15 wherein said metal atoms are V, Zr, Mo, Ti, Ta, W, or U.
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17. The method of claim 12 wherein said oxidizer is Cl2 and said metal atoms are U.
Specification