Laser-Driven Light Source

• US 20110204265A1
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Energetiq Technology Incorporated (Hamamatsu Photonics KK)
• Inventors: Smith, Donald K., Holber, William M., Casey, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,309,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/503.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70033 by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 65/04 Lamps in which a gas filling is excited to luminesce by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation, e.g. for indicating plasma display panels
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/382 during the transitional start-up phase
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 2/001 X-ray radiation generated from plasma plasma for generation of electrons to be accelerated towards an anode H01J35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 2/003 being produced from a liquid or gas
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 2/008 involving a beam of energy, e.g. laser or electron beam in the process of exciting the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

An apparatus for producing light includes a chamber and an ignition source that ionizes a gas within the chamber. The apparatus also includes at least one laser that provides energy to the ionized gas within the chamber to produce a high brightness light. The laser can provide a substantially continuous amount of energy to the ionized gas to generate a substantially continuous high brightness light.

Claims

1. A light source, comprising:

a chamber;

an ignition source for ionizing a medium within the chamber;

a laser for providing energy to the ionized medium within the chamber to produce a light; and

a blocker suspended along a path the energy travels to block at least a portion of the energy.

2. The light source of claim 1, wherein the blocker deflects energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium away from an output of the light source.

3. The light source of claim 1, wherein the blocker is a mirror.

4. The light source of claim 1, wherein the blocker absorbs the energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium.

5. The light source of claim 4, wherein the blocker comprises graphite.

6. The light source of claim 1, wherein the blocker reflects energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium.

7. The light source of claim 6, wherein the reflected energy is reflected toward the ionized medium within the chamber.

8. The light source of claim 1, wherein the blocker is a coating on a portion of the chamber.

9. The light source of claim 1, comprising a coolant channel disposed in the blocker.

10. The light source of claim 9, comprising a coolant supply coupled to the coolant channel.

11. The light source of claim 1, comprising a gas source that blows gas on the blocker to cool the blocker.

12. The light source of claim 1, comprising an arm connecting the blocker to a housing of the light source.

13. The light source of claim 1, wherein energy provided by the laser enters the chamber on a first side of the chamber and the blocker is suspended on a second side of the chamber opposite the first side.

14. A method for producing light, comprising:

ionizing with an ignition source a medium within a chamber;

providing laser energy to the ionized medium in the chamber to produce a light; and

blocking energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium with a blocker suspended along a path the energy travels.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein blocking the energy comprises deflecting the energy away from an output of the light source.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the blocker comprises a mirror.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein blocking the energy comprises absorbing the energy.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein blocking the energy comprises reflecting the energy.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein reflecting the energy comprises reflecting the energy towards the ionized medium in the chamber.

20. The method of claim 14, comprising cooling the blocker.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein cooling the blocker comprises flowing a coolant through a channel in or coupled to the blocker.

22. The method of claim 14, comprising blowing a gas on the blocker to cool the blocker.