US Patent 9576785 Electrodeless single CW laser driven xenon lamp

An ignition facilitated electrodeless sealed high intensity illumination device is disclosed. The device is configured to receive a laser beam from a continuous wave (CW) laser light source. A sealed chamber is configured to contain an ionizable medium. The chamber has an ingress window disposed within a wall of a chamber interior surface configured to admit the laser beam into the chamber, a plasma sustaining region, and a high intensity light egress window configured to emit high intensity light from the chamber. A path of the CW laser beam from the laser light source through the ingress window to a focal region within the chamber is direct. The ingress window is configured to focus the laser beam to within a predetermined volume, and the plasma is configured to be ignited by the CW laser beam, optionally by heating of a non-electrode ignition agent located entirely within the chamber.