A
laser system utilizing a fluid as the excitatory medium for stimulated
light emission, wherein the fluid is supplied from a
sorbent-based fluid storage and dispensing
system coupled in fluid-supplying relationship with the
laser apparatus. The
laser may be an
excimer laser utilizing as the laser
working fluid a
rare gas halide compound such as fluorides and / or chlorides of
krypton,
xenon and
argon, as well as
fluorine and / or
chlorine per se. The laser
system may alternatively be a
far infrared gas laser utilizing a gas such as CO2, N2O, CD3OD, CH3OD, CH3OH, CH3NH2, C2H2F2, HCOOH, CD3I, CH3F, and C13H3F.
Laser systems of the present invention may be utilized in applications such as
materials processing, measurement and inspection, reading, writing, and recording of information,
holography, communications, displays,
spectroscopy and
analytical chemistry,
remote sensing, surveying, marking, and alignment, surgical and medical applications,
plasma diagnostics, laser weaponry, laser-induced
nuclear fusion,
isotope enrichment and
atomic physics.