Patent ID: 11875986
Assignee: ISTEQ GROUP HOLDING B.V.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A laser-pumped plasma light source comprising: a gas-filled chamber (1), at least part of which is optically transparent, a region of radiating plasma (2) sustained in the chamber by a focused beam (3) of a continuous wave (CW) laser (4), and means for plasma ignition, characterized in that
the means for plasma ignition is a solid-state laser system (7) generating two pulsed laser beams (8), (9) that are focused into the chamber; one beam (8) of said two pulsed laser beams is generated in a free running mode and another pulsed laser beam (9) is generated in a Q-switched mode;
the solid-state laser system contains single active element (10), radiation source (13) for pumping the active element (10) and optical cavity (12), (13) that provides multiple passage of an intracavity laser beam (15) through the active element; the optical cavity is equipped with a Q-switch (14) installed on the path of the intracavity laser beam so that the Q-switch overlaps only part (15b) of a cross section of the intracavity laser beam.