Patent ID: 9735534
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: H01S

Claim:
1. A laser apparatus for generating continuous wave (cw) coherent output radiation having a wavelength below about 200 nm, comprising: a chamber for receiving at least a rare gas or rare gas mixtures; a pump laser source for generating at least one cw pump laser focused in the chamber for generating at least one laser-sustained plasma having excimer emissions in the chamber; and a lens system positioned within the chamber, wherein the lens system provides an optical cavity for forming confocal or unstable resonators inside the chamber to provide feedback to the excimer emissions of the at least one laser-sustained plasma so as to generate at least one continuous wave (cw) laser having a wavelength that is below about 200 nm, wherein the at least one laser-sustained plasma has a shape that substantially matches a shape of the optical cavity, wherein the optical cavity comprises (i) a first mirror formed from materials that transmit wavelengths equal to or higher than the cw pump laser's wavelength and have a high reflectivity at wavelengths that include at least a portion of a wavelength range of the excimer emissions and (ii) a second mirror formed from materials that have a reflectivity at wavelengths that include at least a portion of the wavelength range of the excimer emissions.