Importance

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Abstract

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or like polymeric material is provided for use as a laser cavity material to efficiently couple flash lamp emissions into the laser medium due to its exceptionally high diffuse reflectance characteristic of better than 99%, which increases the laser output by as much as 100%. In one embodiment, a unique technique for fabricating the cavity includes both sintering and providing an optimal packing density prior to sintering, with the sintering to take place at atmospheric pressure to preserve the optimal packing density as closely as possible in the sintered product. This provides an optimal void percentage for optimal reflectivity. For PTFE, packing densities approaching 1.0 g/cm.sup.3 yield an opaque optimally reflective material. Moreover, in one embodiment the unsintered particle size is maintained at less than 50 microns to obtain the machinability required for laser cavities, with the granular starting material having an impurity content of less than 10 particles per square inch so that disintegration or degradation of the laser cavity material due to pitting is prevented. Moreover, all presintering processing is done in a clean room to avoid contamination of the sintered product.

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First Claim