A plasma heating apparatus including a boiler vessel for holding water to be heated, a cathode housed in the vessel, the cathode defining a watertight cathode chamber isolated from the water in the vessel, and, an anode housed in the cathode chamber, the anode including an internal passage for receiving a gas from outside of the vessel when the passage is connected to a gas supply, and wherein the anode is connectable to a power source for receiving power for generating a plasma in the cathode chamber. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a heat or power generating system or plant including the plasma heating apparatus.

Disclosed are methods of and apparatus for extending a useful lifetime of a laser discharge chamber in which a polarity of an electrode positioned at a fixed position within the chamber is caused to be positive with respect to the polarity of a second electrode defining a discharge gap with the first electrode and the first electrode is made of a material that forms an erosion resistant surface when the first electrode is used and an anode. Also disclosed is an arrangement in which a first electrode is positionable with respect a second electrode defining a discharge gap with the second electrode and the position of the first electrode controlled to maintain the width of the gap within a predetermined range.

A discharge chamber for a deep ultraviolet (DUV) light source includes a housing; and a first electrode and a second electrode in the housing, the first electrode and the second electrode being separated from each other to form a discharge region between the first electrode and the second electrode, the discharge region being configured to receive a gain medium including at least one noble gas and a halogen gas. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a metal alloy including more than 33% and less than 50% zinc by weight.

A positive high-voltage laser having a super-long discharge tube, including a gas storage tube having two ends respectively provided with a reflecting mirror and a light emitting surface; a water cooling tube in the gas storage tube; and a discharge tube inside the water cooling tube having two ends, each provided with an electrode. A liquid circulation space is between the discharge tube and the water cooling tube, and the water cooling tube extends outside the gas storage tube by water inlet and outlet tubes. A cathode is in a cathode chamber at the end of the discharge tube closest to the light emitting surface; a spiral gas return tube communicates with the cathode chamber; an anode circumscribes the outside of the water cooling tube at the other end of the discharge tube. The positive high-voltage laser can increase power with a limited length.

Laser amplification utilizing plasma confinement of a gas laser gain media is described. The gas laser gain media is compressed into plasma utilizing a self-reinforcing magnetic field referred to a plasma pinch (e.g., a flow stabilized z-pinch). In the plasma pinch, the gas laser gain media is compressed to a high density, which improves the gain of the media. An optical resonator partially surrounds the plasma pinch and utilizes the laser gain media compressed within the plasma pinch to generate an output of coherent light.

Laser amplification utilizing plasma confinement of a gas laser gain media is described. The gas laser gain media is compressed into plasma utilizing a self-reinforcing magnetic field referred to a plasma pinch (e.g., a flow stabilized z-pinch). In the plasma pinch, the gas laser gain media is compressed to a high density, which improves the gain of the media. An optical resonator partially surrounds the plasma pinch and utilizes the laser gain media compressed within the plasma pinch to generate an output of coherent light.

Anodes and cathodes for use in generating gas discharge laser light are disclosed. The improved anode has a transition portion that includes a substantially vertical sidewall to transition between the active portion and the end portion to reduce erosion-related issues. The improved cathode has thickened spine portions in enhanced erosion locations. The spine portions are thickened by removing material from the shoulder of the cathode stepped cross-section profile in those locations in order to improve the longevity of the cathode.

A plasma heating apparatus including a boiler vessel for holding water to be heated, a cathode housed in the vessel, the cathode defining a watertight cathode chamber isolated from the water in the vessel, and, an anode housed in the cathode chamber, the anode including an internal passage for receiving a gas from outside of the vessel when the passage is connected to a gas supply, and wherein the anode is connectable to a power source for receiving power for generating a plasma in the cathode chamber. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a heat or power generating system or plant including the plasma heating apparatus.

In an inertial containment fusion (ICF) system which uses a KrF laser, it is beneficial to perform pulse compression of the laser output to produce a higher-power, higher-intensity laser pulse at the target. Such pulse compression involves counter-propagating laser pump and seed beams. A short-pulse seed beam is amplified as energy is extracted from a long-pulse pump beam. Because such energy extraction is invariably incomplete, a fraction of the pump energy will exit the compression cell in the same direction as the optics used to create the seed beam. The invention involves a gas consisting of a noble gas such as neon or argon which may be excited by an electron beam to enhance absorption. By proper choice of gas, cell length, electron-beam excitation, and time delay, the residual pump beam may be absorbed almost entirely with less than 0.01% transmitted laser energy through the invention.

A discharge electrode according to an aspect of the present disclosure is for use in a gas laser apparatus that excites a laser gas containing fluorine by discharge, and includes a cathode electrode that extends in one direction, and an anode electrode that extends in the one direction and that is disposed facing the cathode electrode in a discharge direction orthogonal to the one direction. At least one of the cathode electrode and the anode electrode includes an electrode substrate containing a metal, and a dielectric including a first layer having voids provided on a pair of side faces of the electrode substrate. A porosity of the first layer is in a range of 0.5% to 25%.