Electrodeless Plasma Light Source Chamber Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser-pumped plasma light sources face issues with optical aberrations introduced by transparent chamber walls, reducing brightness and stability due to imperfect chamber shapes and electrode-related convective gas turbulence.
Innovation Solution
A chamber design with a cylindrical internal surface and a toroid-shaped external surface to minimize aberrations, combined with electrodeless pulsed laser ignition and optimized gas composition, including metal-halide additives, to enhance plasma radiation collection and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional chamber with transparent walls is used, then the chamber can contain and sustain plasma, but optical aberrations are introduced that reduce brightness and stability
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is designed with a spherical geometry where the plasma region forms a sphere and is surrounded by a transparent spherical shell. This spherical configuration ensures that all light rays traveling from the plasma to the collector pass through equal thicknesses of the transparent medium, eliminating optical aberrations and maintaining consistent refractive conditions. The spherical symmetry guarantees that refractive index variations do not cause focal shifts or image distortion, thereby preserving brightness and stability while containing the plasma.
2Reliability
If electrodes are used for plasma ignition, then plasma can be initiated, but convective gas turbulence increases reducing spatial and power stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical electrode-based ignition system with an optical ignition method using a pulsed laser. The laser creates a plasma channel through optical breakdown of the gas, eliminating the need for physical electrodes. This substitution removes the source of convective turbulence that electrodes generate, thereby improving spatial and power stability while maintaining reliable plasma ignition capability.
3Illumination intensity
If the chamber shape is optimized for radiation collection, then brightness increases, but optical aberrations from wall geometry increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical chamber geometry inherently satisfies both radiation collection and optical aberration control requirements. The spherical shape allows for efficient collection of isotropic plasma radiation while maintaining equal optical path lengths for all rays reaching the collector. This geometric configuration eliminates the need for complex aberration-correcting optics and achieves optimal brightness without compromising optical precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly increases the brightness and stability of the light source by reducing aberrations and convective gas turbulence, allowing for sharper focusing and broader plasma radiation collection, thereby improving spatial and power stability.
Implementation Method 1
a pulsed laser system generating at least one pulsed laser beam focused in the chamber
Implementation Method 2
a region of radiating plasma sustained in the chamber by a focused beam of a continuous wave (CW) laser
Implementation Method 3
optical aberrations introduced into the path of radiating plasma rays by the transparent walls of the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The light source contains a chamber with a region of radiating plasma sustained by a focused beam of a CW laser. The chamber consists of a tube, a bottom and a cap. The cap is arranged for filling the chamber with gas. The tube and bottom are made from an optically transparent material. The bottom is arranged for input into the chamber of the CW laser beam and pulsed laser beams used for the plasma ignition, while the tube is arranged for exit of the output beam of plasma radiation. Preferably shape of the tube is arranged for reducing aberrations which distort a path of rays of plasma radiation passing through the tube wall. The technical result consists in creating electrodeless high-brightness broadband light sources with the high spatial and power stability, and in providing an ability to collect plasma radiation in a spatial angle of more than 9 sr.