Optically pumped alkali laser and amplifier using helium-3 buffer gas

摘要

In one embodiment, a laser oscillator is provided comprising an optical cavity, the optical cavity including a gain medium including an alkali vapor and a buffer gas, the buffer gas including ³He gas, wherein if ⁴He gas is also present in the buffer gas, the ratio of the concentration of the ³He gas to the ⁴He gas is greater than 1.37×10⁻⁶. Additionally, an optical excitation source is provided. Furthermore, the laser oscillator is capable of outputting radiation at a first frequency. In another embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a gain medium including an alkali vapor and a buffer gas including ³He gas, wherein if ⁴He gas is also present in the buffer gas, the ratio of the concentration of the ³He gas to the ⁴He gas is greater than 1.37×10⁻⁶. Other embodiments are also disclosed.