Patent ID: 7804879

Claim:
A laser, comprising: a laser chamber containing a lasing gas; a laser resonator having a longitudinal axis extending through the lasing gas in the laser chamber; and first and second elongated electrode assemblies with active surfaces thereof arranged face-to-face and parallel to each and extending longitudinally on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the resonator, the active surfaces defining the region of the electrodes where the laser discharge is created, the active surfaces being directly adjacent the discharge, the active surfaces of the electrode assemblies having a width extending along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and wherein the effective width of the active surfaces varies along the longitudinal axis in a substantially continuous uninterrupted manner and wherein there are no gaps in the active surfaces along the axis perpendicular to the width and wherein at least one of the electrode assemblies includes a plurality of pins having a circular active surface adjacent the discharge, the being pins aligned diametrically with each other along the length of the assembly such that the effective width of the active surface varies longitudinally periodically.