GREEN LASER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04770A002900020017-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2005
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: April 8, 1965
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2005/11/21 : CIA-RDP78BO477OA002900020017-2
April 8, 1965
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re nor on emare .
STAG is located in the
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has succeeded in making Argon lase and produce a
coherent eam in the blue green spectral region. (Several
DUE their devices
Power electronics and employ'about 130 people.
ey specialize in large, high-volta a installations for High-
across the street from
started working on lasers for them sev rs
ago. en. Joined the company last ear)
formed a subsidiary company called fort a laser
work. They have about ten people in
roduces both CW and pulse lasers covering wave lengths
35 11 Angstroms ultraviolet through green, yellow, orange,
and red on into the infra red to 12066 Ang.stroms or further.
They have certain basic laser designs with interchangeable
mirrors and plasma tubes. Various combinations of mirrors
and plasma tubes will produce various colors and combinations
of spectral lines. The CW lasers are pretty touchy and short
lived, but the pulsed lasers are reputedly more stable and
reliable. The Argon lasers are not as well developed for
routine use as the Helium/Neon gas lasers.
The Model 3355 blue green Argon laser appears to be.most
applica e. It is a pulsed laser with three microsecond pulses.
at 120 pulses per second. (It can be driven faster if desired.)
It produces six spectral lines simultaneously: 4579, 4658,
4765, 4880, 4965,-and 5145 Angstroms, with one milliwatt
average power out ut one watt peak power output). The
price is. about To obtain the 3545 Angstrom ultra-
violet line.re uires a different set of mirrors which cost
an additional
Declass Review by NGA.
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Approved For Release 2005/11/21 : CIA-RDP78BO477OA002900020017-2
 Approved For Release 2005/11/21 : CIA-RDP78BO477OA002900020017-2
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Green Laser
April 8, .1965
Page -2-
The Model 3400 CW Argon laser, which has a one watt blue green
beam, is a very large and powerful instrument. It uses a
25.RVA power supply which runs off a 220..volt, 3-phase line:
The beam is so powerful it is dangerous around a lab. Price
of.the Model 3400 is about
These people have a thorough grasp of the fundamentals of
a coherent light beam and its properties. I think they could
shed some analytical light on why the laser enlarger does
not produce the modulation transfer function response expected
of it. They pointed out to me, for example, that normal
laser beam coherence is adequate for most purposes. For
hologram work, however, extreme measures must be taken to
control phase. I suspect the phase sensitivity of the laser
enlarger is similar to that of holograms. Spectral side
bands due to the doppler spread and spectral shifts due to
vibration of the plasma tube are candidates for suspicion
in the coherence and phasing problem.
I talked to the people at Stanford University who had
purchased a CW Argon laser from.. in January, 1965..
Professor re?erre me to his graduate
student, who was-conducting their experiments.
They bought only t e plasma tube and did their own mirror
mounting and electronics. They had.a lot of trouble-with
the laser which they attributed mostly to their own set-up.
They found it difficult to get coherent CW lasing. Also,
they, are operating near threshold'to conserve tube life.
They have about 20 hours on the tube d expect it to go
any time. A plasma tube runs about
green laser is in my opinion not yet an
The Argon CW blue
instrument for general routine use but it is developing
fast. Further usage information is needed on the Argon
pulsed blue green laser.
Enclosed is the =catalogue. Note that in section 8.
they say that as one of their. pulsed
.UV lasers.
ph
Enc.
Approved For Release 2005/11/21 : CIA-RDP78B04770A00290002001.7-2