Coherent's First Born

[rfourt]

Here's an ad I found in the September, 1966 issue of Laser Focus magazine. it shows the first CO2 laser made by Coherent, while still in the garage. A Model 40 laser this style tube went in to was on display at CLEO a few weeks ago. Such humble beginnings! Silicon Valley!!!!

Attachment 17287

hehe very nice picture.. i love the Coffe cup in the midle.

[mixedgas]

I'm not shocked that there are only a handful of the RF ones. SP published a paper and the power out per watt of excitation was dismal. Dismal even compared to a DC excited one.

Its fully described in Bloom and Bell's book on gas lasers.

meanwhile back at the ranch.. I have a early Liconix self heating hecad manual with the initials W.S. on the checkout sheet. Bob, If I know it has a reasonable chance of surviving for another few decades, or going into a museum, it can be yours.

If its the W.S. I think it is, that makes it a potential museum piece.

Steve

[Eidetic]

In my hands, it would be among a large group of its peers and kept in a glass doored display case. I didn't know Silvfast was connected with LiConix. Someone I met at Photonics West told me he (WS) still has the first He-Cd plasma tube.