High heat-dissipation-efficiency discharge tube for ion lasers with an Al(2)O(3) ceramic-copper sandwich structure

A high heat-dissipation-efficiency discharge tube for ion lasers is discussed and compared with conventional tube structures. The results show that the capability to dissipate heat of this Al(2)O(3) ceramic-copper sandwich structure tube is better than that of the BeO ceramic tube and the water-cooled Al(2)O(3) ceramic-tungsten tube. An air-cooled argon laser constructed with this structure has been operating for over 2000 h.