A dielectric electrode assembly, and a method of manufacture thereof, including: a dielectric tube having a cylindrical cross-section and a relative dielectric constant, ε.sub.2, the dielectric tube filled with a gas having a relative dielectric constant, ε.sub.1; a structural dielectric having a relative dielectric constant, ε.sub.3 surrounding the dielectric tube; metal electrodes on opposite sides of the structural dielectric, the metal electrodes having a flat cross-sectional geometry; and the structural dielectric made from a material selected such that the relative dielectric constants of the structural dielectric, the dielectric tube, and the gas are interrelated and a uniform electric field is generated within the dielectric tube when power is applied to the metal electrodes.

A method and device for limiting the deflection of a laser head during temperature changes such that a laser head is usable in applications of laser technology.

A carbon dioxide gas-discharge slab-laser is assembled in a laser-housing. The laser-housing is formed from a hollow extrusion. An interior surface of the extrusion provides a ground electrode of the laser. Another live electrode is located within the extrusion, electrically insulated from and parallel to the ground electrode, forming a discharge-gap of the slab-laser. The electrodes are spaced apart by parallel ceramic strips. Neither the extrusion, nor the live electrode, include fluid coolant channels. The laser-housing is cooled by fluid-cooled plates attached to the outside thereof.

A carbon dioxide gas-discharge slab-laser is assembled in a laser-housing. The laser-housing is formed from a hollow extrusion. An interior surface of the extrusion provides a ground electrode of the laser. Another live electrode is located within the extrusion, electrically insulated from and parallel to the ground electrode, forming a discharge-gap of the slab-laser. The electrodes are spaced apart by parallel ceramic strips. Neither the extrusion, nor the live electrode, include fluid coolant channels. The laser-housing is cooled by fluid-cooled plates attached to the outside thereof.

A gas laser apparatus may include a chamber filled with a laser gas; a window provided in the chamber and through which a laser beam passes; an optical path tube connected to the chamber to surround a position of the window in the chamber; a heated gas supply port configured to supply a heated purge gas into a closed space including a space in the optical path tube; and an exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas in the closed space.

A gas laser apparatus may include a chamber filled with a laser gas; a window provided in the chamber and through which a laser beam passes; an optical path tube connected to the chamber to surround a position of the window in the chamber; a heated gas supply port configured to supply a heated purge gas into a closed space including a space in the optical path tube; and an exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas in the closed space.

Disclosed is an exchangeable laser unit and an array thereof. The exchangeable laser unit includes cartridge receivers and housings having a uniform shape and uniform optical interfaces. The cartridge receiver adopts the optical interface including a tapered cavity and cylindrical cavity, so that a precise mechanical connection can be achieved between the output of laser of the cartridge receiver and the output of the optical fiber of the housing without professional tools, facilitating standardization of the output components of the laser elements of the cartridge receiver. In addition, the upper-lower guide rails and the upper-lower channels having certain of inclination degree can realize the precise positioning of the cartridge receiver and the housing. When replacing one laser element by a laser element that emits laser with a different wavelength, it is only necessary to replace the cartridge receiver inside the housing. That is, the replacement of laser elements having different wavelengths is converted to the replacement of cartridge receivers, which greatly reduces the difficulty for medical personnel to switch laser wavelengths, and improves the popularization of laser therapeutic instruments in the medical field. In the exchangeable laser array of the disclosure, the cartridge receiver inside the housing can be replaced by other cartridge receiver that emits laser with a different wavelength, and the plurality of housings can be connected with a plurality of wavelength switchers in the back to realize selective output of the wavelength.

Disclosed is an exchangeable laser unit and an array thereof. The exchangeable laser unit includes cartridge receivers and housings having a uniform shape and uniform optical interfaces. The cartridge receiver adopts the optical interface including a tapered cavity and cylindrical cavity, so that a precise mechanical connection can be achieved between the output of laser of the cartridge receiver and the output of the optical fiber of the housing without professional tools, facilitating standardization of the output components of the laser elements of the cartridge receiver. In addition, the upper-lower guide rails and the upper-lower channels having certain of inclination degree can realize the precise positioning of the cartridge receiver and the housing. When replacing one laser element by a laser element that emits laser with a different wavelength, it is only necessary to replace the cartridge receiver inside the housing. That is, the replacement of laser elements having different wavelengths is converted to the replacement of cartridge receivers, which greatly reduces the difficulty for medical personnel to switch laser wavelengths, and improves the popularization of laser therapeutic instruments in the medical field. In the exchangeable laser array of the disclosure, the cartridge receiver inside the housing can be replaced by other cartridge receiver that emits laser with a different wavelength, and the plurality of housings can be connected with a plurality of wavelength switchers in the back to realize selective output of the wavelength.

A CO.sub.2 laser that generates laser-radiation in just one emission band of a CO.sub.2 gas-mixture has resonator mirrors that form an unstable resonator and at least one spectrally-selective element located on the optical axis of the resonator. The spectrally-selective element may be in the form of one or more protruding or recessed surfaces. Spectral-selectivity is enhanced by forming a stable resonator along the optical axis that includes the spectrally-selective element. The CO.sub.2 laser is tunable between emission bands by translating the spectrally-selective element along the optical axis.

A coherent light source provides spontaneous emission (Dicke superradiance/subradiance) using a dilute and optically thin cloud of disordered atoms. The coherent light source provides improved noise statistics over that of a laser and, accordingly, may be used in sensitive interferometric applications such as light gyroscopes.