Improvements to generators electron laser beam and a gas pumping by electron beam in which application

摘要

An electron beam pumped gas laser includes an evacuated cavity adapted to house a lasing gas and an electron beam launching means (such as a field emission diode). Means are provided to insert a lasing gas into the cavity so as to produce a traveling density discontinuity. The diode is energized prior to the time the traveling density discontinuity reaches it so as to launch an electron beam under substantially evacuated conditions. The principles of the invention can also be applied to gaseous electron beam transport.