Patent ID: 6535540
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A discharge device for a pulsed laser, comprising a main discharge means having main discharge electrodes disposed in a laser medium, a main discharge capacitor connected in parallel with the main discharge electrodes, a magnetic pulse compression circuit which is connected in parallel with the main discharge capacitor and has a saturable reactor connected in series with a forwarding capacitor, and a power source for supplying electric charges to the forwarding capacitor, said capacitor generating a pulsed laser by transferring the electric charges accumulated in the forwarding capacitor according to a preset pulse oscillation synchronizing signal from an outside source to the main discharge capacitor to cause a pulse discharge across the main discharge electrodes so as to excite the laser medium, wherein:preionization means for causing preionization across the main discharge electrodes is disposed to discharge independent of the main discharge means; and preionization is caused across the main discharge means by the preionization means before the main discharge is caused by the main discharge means.