公开(公告)号：US3614653A

公开(公告)日：1971-10-19

申请号：US3614653D

申请日：1963-05-02

Applicant: BELL TELEPHONE LABOR INC

Inventor： JAVAN ALI ,  BENNETT WILLIAM R JR ,  HERRIOTT DONALD R

IPC: H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/0975 ,  H01S3/00

CPC classification number: H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/0975

Abstract: 1. An optical maser comprising: MEANS FOR PRODUCING FREE ELECTRONS WITHIN AN ENCLOSED SPACE, A FIRST AND A SECOND GAS WITHIN THE ENCLOSED SPACE, THE FIRST GAS POSSESSING A METASTABLE ENERGY LEVEL ABOVE ITS GROUND STATE TO WHICH ATOMS THEREOF MAY BE RAISED BY COLLISION WITH SAID FREE ELECTRONS, THE SECOND GAS POSSESSING AN ENERGY LEVEL SYSTEM WITH AT LEAST TWO LEVELS ABOVE THE GROUND STATE, THE SEPARATION OF THE HIGHER OF SAID TWO LEVELS FROM THE GROUND STATE SUBSTANTIALLY MATCHING THE SEPARATION OF SAID METASTABLE LEVEL OF THE FIRST GAS FROM ITS GROUND STATE, SO THAT ATOMS OF THE FIRST GAS WHICH ARE IN THE METASTABLE STATE COLLIDE WITH GROUND STATE ATOMS OF THE SECOND GAS AND EXCITE SAID GROUND STATE ATOMS TO SAID HIGHER LEVEL, THEREBY CREATING A POPULATION INVERSION BETWEEN A PAIR OF ENERGY LEVELS OF SAID SECOND GAS SO THAT EMISSION OF COHERENT OPTICAL RADIATION MAY BE STIMULATED AT A FREQUENCY CORRESPONDING TO THE ENERGY SEPARATION THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR FORMING RESONANT MODES OF SAID COHERENT RADIATION WITHIN THE ENCLOSED SPACE COMPRISING TWO OPTICALLY REFLECTING MEMBERS DEFINING A LIGHT BEAM PATH THERETHROUGH, AND MEANS FOR ABSTRACTING SAID COHERENT RADIATION FOR UTILIZATION.