\ Joss Research Institute Web Report #5C [New Series], Part 3, DKPLUS Revamp Continued

TJIIRRS: Number 5C [New] of an Ongoing Series;

“Theorie und Praxis IIA”:
Revamping the “DKDIY” Laser,

Part 3: “DKGS”: Yet Another Head Rebuild

(06 December, 2009, ff)

This page details the construction of an even further improved (I hope!) head for the nitrogen laser that is described on the previous two pages. (Links at the end of this page.)

Having discovered that even the small amount of leakage I observe with the previous head design is enough to cause it to lase when I fill it with a few dozen Torr of helium and do not actually add any nitrogen to the fill, I have decided to build another head.

!! CAUTION !!

This laser uses high voltages, and capacitors that can store lethal amounts of energy. It puts out an invisible ultraviolet beam that can damage your eyes and skin. It is important to take adequate safety precautions and use appropriate safety equipment with any laser; but it is crucially important with lasers that involve high voltages and/or produce invisible beams!

Design Rationale

I want a head that is robust, performs well, and does not leak. This page deals only with the new head and the issues and concerns involved in designing and building it; the rest of the platform has already proven to have reasonable performance, and I do not need to describe it again; please see the previous two pages if you want that information.

Unless I change my mind, this new head will have 25 mm channel width, steel electrodes (steel is more robust and less reactive than aluminum), and at least one glass sidewall, possibly both. It will be preionized as the previous head was, with a SiC “carpet” on the upper sidewall.

The Build

(06 December, 2009)

The rows of capacitors on the base are 4" apart. In each row, the capacitors are 3" apart, and the rows are staggered. Depending on my electrodes I may be able to connect to the capacitors with brass shim stock, which would be convenient because there appears to be some variability in the alignment of the electrodes on the ends of the capacitors. More about this later.

To the first page in this set, a general discussion of the issues involved in designing and building a high-performance nitrogen laser

To a page about my initial effort to produce a high-performance nitrogen laser

To a page about my continuation of that effort, which resulted in a laser that puts out about 100 kW and can operate without a vacuum pump

To a “How-To” page about that laser

To an interim page about my effort to scale up a published design in order to enhance its performance

To the first page about this laser

To the second page about this laser

To a brief “How-To” page about building the design I discuss on these two pages

To a page about my late 2006 effort to build a less-expensive laser with good performance...

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