Laser-driven light source
An apparatus for producing light includes a chamber and an ignition source that ionizes a gas within the chamber. The apparatus also includes at least one laser that provides energy to the ionized gas within the chamber to produce a high brightness light. The laser can provide a substantially continuous amount of energy to the ionized gas to generate a substantially continuous high brightness light.
1. A light source, comprising:
a chamber;
an ignition source for ionizing a medium within the chamber;
a laser for providing energy to the ionized medium within the chamber to produce a light; and
a blocker suspended along a path the energy travels and blocking the energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium.
2. The light source of claim 1 , wherein the blocker is a mirror.
3. The light source of claim 1 , wherein the blocker absorbs the energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium.
4. The light source of claim 3 , wherein the blocker comprises graphite.
5. The light source of claim 1 , wherein the blocker is a coating on a portion of the chamber.
6. The light source of claim 1 , comprising a coolant channel disposed in the blocker.
7. The light source of claim 6 , comprising a coolant supply coupled to the coolant channel.
8. The light source of claim 1 , comprising a gas source that blows gas on the blocker to cool the blocker.
9. The light source of claim 1 , comprising an arm connecting the blocker to a housing of the light source.
10. The light source of claim 1 , wherein energy provided by the laser enters the chamber on a first side of the chamber and the blocker is suspended on a second side of the chamber opposite the first side.
11. A light source, comprising: a chamber;
an ignition source for ionizing a medium within the chamber;
a laser for providing energy to the ionized medium within the chamber to produce a light; wherein the blocker reflects energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium.
12. The light source of claim 11 , wherein the reflected energy is reflected toward the ionized medium within the chamber.
13. A method for producing light, comprising:
ionizing with an ignition source a medium within a chamber;
providing laser energy to the ionized medium in the chamber to produce a light; and
blocking energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium with a blocker suspended along a path the energy travels.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein blocking the energy comprises deflecting the energy away from an output of the light source.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the blocker comprises a mirror.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein blocking the energy comprises absorbing the energy.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein blocking the energy comprises reflecting the energy.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein reflecting the energy comprises reflecting the energy towards the ionized medium in the chamber.
19. The method of claim 13 , comprising cooling the blocker.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein cooling the blocker comprises flowing a coolant through a channel in or coupled to the blocker.
21. The method of claim 13 , comprising blowing a gas on the blocker to cool the blocker.