Metal aperture ion lasers

A new capillary structure for ion lasers has led to greatly improved operating reliability and lifetime. This paper traces the development of this structure from the original suggestion for a segmented metal capillary to its present form. The major goals of this development have been increased reliability and operating lifetime. Experimental results at various stages of development are presented to illustrate the effect of improvements in design. The result of this development, a high reliability, two-watt argon ion laser, is described and its operating characteristics compared to those of more conventional ion lasers.