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A laser includes a deformable tube holding an electrode assembly that includes conformable spacers. The spacers are deformed by compression of the tube into good surface contact with the electrodes and the tube walls, thereby providing the necessary path for heat removal from the plasma in order to

A laser includes a deformable tube holding an electrode assembly that includes conformable spacers. The spacers are deformed by compression of the tube into good surface contact with the electrodes and the tube walls, thereby providing the necessary path for heat removal from the plasma in order to maintain the required operating temperature for adequate performance of the laser.

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We claim: 1. A laser comprising: a housing having a housing cavity therein; first and second electrodes in said housing cavity defining a lasing volume therebetween; a lasing medium in said lasing volume; at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer in said housing cavity includi

We claim: 1. A laser comprising: a housing having a housing cavity therein; first and second electrodes in said housing cavity defining a lasing volume therebetween; a lasing medium in said lasing volume; at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer in said housing cavity including a first spacer; and at least one conformable spacer in said housing cavity including a second spacer, said first and second spacers being positioned in said housing cavity to separate said first electrode from said housing, wherein said second spacer is positioned between said first spacer and a portion of said housing. 2. A laser comprising: a housing having a housing cavity therein; first and second electrodes in said housing cavity defining a lasing volume therebetween; a lasing medium in said lasing volume; at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer in said housing cavity including a first spacer; and at least one conformable spacer in said housing cavity including a second spacer, said first and second spacers being positioned in said housing cavity to separate said first electrode from said housing, wherein said first spacer is between said second spacer and a portion of said housing. 3. A laser comprising: a housing having a housing cavity therein; first and second electrodes in said housing cavity defining a lasing volume therebetween; a lasing medium in said lasing volume; at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer in said housing cavity including a first spacer; and at least one conformable spacer in said housing cavity including a second spacer, said first and second spacers being positioned in said housing cavity to separate said first electrode from said housing, wherein; each of said first and second electrodes has an interior surface and an exterior surface; said lasing medium is between said interior surfaces of said first and second electrodes; said housing cavity has an interior surface; one of said first and second spacers is in contact with said exterior surface of said first electrode and the other of said first and second spacers is out of contact with said first electrode and in contact with said one of said first and second spacers; and said first and second spacers separate said first electrode from said interior surface of said housing cavity. 4. The laser of claim 3, wherein said at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer includes a third spacer, said third spacer being positioned between said second spacer and a portion of said housing and said first spacer being positioned between said second spacer and said first electrode. 5. The laser of claim 3, wherein each said at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer is formed of selected one of a dielectric material and a semiconducting material. 6. The laser of claim 3, wherein each said comformable spacer is formed of an easily deformable metal. 7. The laser of claim 6, wherein each said conformable spacer is formed of pure aluminum. 8. The laser of claim 3, wherein said first spacer is in contact with said exterior surface of said first electrode and said second spacer is in contact with said first spacer. 9. The laser of claim 8, wherein each of said first and second spacers has respective interior and exterior surfaces, wherein said interior surface of said first spacer is in contact with said exterior surface of said first electrode, said exterior surface of said first spacer is in contact with said interior surface of said second spacer, and said exterior surface of said second spacer is in contact with said first interior surface of said housing cavity, whereby during operation of said laser, heat is conducted from said lasing medium through said first electrode and said first and second spacers to said first interior surface of said housing cavity to maintain an acceptable operating temperature of said lasing medium. 10. The laser of claim 8, wherein said at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer includes a third spacer, wherein each of said first, second and third spacers has respective interior and exterior surfaces, wherein said interior surface of said first spacer is in contact with said exterior surface of said first electrode, said exterior surface of said first spacer is in contact with said interior surface of said second spacer, said exterior surface of said second spacer is in contact with said interior surface of said third spacer and said exterior surface of said third spacer is in contact with said first interior surface of said housing cavity, whereby during operation of said laser, heat is conducted from said lasing medium through said first electrode and said first, second and third spacers to said first interior surface of said housing cavity to maintain an acceptable operating temperature of said lasing medium. 11. The laser of claim 3, wherein said second spacer is in contact with said exterior surface of said electrode and said first spacer is in contact with said second spacer. 12. The laser of claim 11, wherein each of said first and second spacers has respective interior and exterior surfaces, wherein said interior surface of said second spacer is in contact with said exterior surface of said first electrode, said exterior surface of said second spacer is in contact with said interior surface of said first spacer, and said exterior surface of said first spacer is in contact with said first interior surface of said housing cavity, whereby during operation of said laser, heat is conducted from said lasing medium through said first electrode and said second and first spacers to said first interior surface of said housing cavity to maintain an acceptable operating temperature of said lasing medium. 13. The laser of claim 3, wherein said housing is collapsible and said housing includes a compression structure for selectively collapsing said housing to deform said second spacer into making respective surface contact with surfaces adjacent thereto, and wherein said interior surface of said housing cavity is provided on a wall of said housing having a thickness sufficient to prevent deformation of said housing under compression of said second spacer. 14. The laser of claim 3, wherein said housing is collapsible. 15. The laser of claim 14, wherein said housing includes a compression structure for selectively collapsing said housing to deform said second spacer into making respective surface contact with surfaces adjacent thereto. 16. The laser of claim 14, wherein: said housing has opposing first and second walls, said first wall including a relatively thick first wall portion with an interior surface, said second wall including a relatively thick second wall portion, and said first wall further including a relatively thin third wall portion extending from said first wall portion; said housing further having a compression structure for exerting compressive force on said first wall, the compressive force being sufficient to deform said thin third wall portion without deforming said first and second wall portions and thereby bring said interior surface of said first wall portion into heat transfer relation with said first electrode through said first and second spacers for efficient heat transfer, the heat transfer relation continuing during operation of said laser. 17. The laser of claim 16, wherein the compressive force selectively collapses said housing to deform said second spacer into making respective surface contact with surfaces adjacent thereto. 18. The laser of claim 3, wherein said first spacer comprises at least one ceramic element. 19. The laser of claim 3, wherein said first spacer comprises at least one ceramic-coated element. 20. A method for constructing a laser, comprising the steps of: providing a housing having a housing cavity therein; providing first and second electrodes in the housing cavity to define a lasing volume therebetween; providing a lasing medium in the lasing volume; providing at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer in the housing cavity including a first spacer; providing at least one conformable spacer in the housing cavity including a second spacer; and positioning the first and second spacers in the housing cavity to separate at least the first electrode from the housing, wherein said positioning step positions the second spacer between the first spacer and a portion of the housing. 21. A method for constructing a laser, comprising the steps of: providing a housing having a housing cavity therein; providing first and second electrodes in the housing cavity to define a lasing volume therebetween; providing a lasing medium in the lasing volume; providing at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer in the housing cavity including a first spacer; providing at least one conformable spacer in the housing cavity including a second spacer; and positioning the first and second spacers in the housing cavity to separate at least the first electrode from the housing, wherein said positioning step positions the first spacer between the second spacer and a portion of the housing. 22. A method for constructing a laser, comprising the steps of; providing a housing having a housing cavity therein; providing first and second electrodes in the housing cavity to define a lasing volume therebetween; providing a lasing medium in the lasing volume; providing at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer in the housing cavity including a first spacer; providing at least one conformable spacer in the housing cavity including a second spacer; and positioning the first and second spacers in the housing cavity to separate at least the first electrode from the housing, wherein an interior one of the first and second spacers is in contact with the first electrode and the other of the first and second spacers is out of contact with the first electrode and in contact with the interior one of the first and second spacers, whereby during operation of the laser, heat is conducted from the lasing medium through the first electrode and the first and second spacers to the housing to maintain an acceptable operating temperature of the lasing medium. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one heat conducting, electrically insulating spacer includes a third spacer, said positioning step positioning the third spacer between the second spacer and a portion of the housing and positioning the first spacer between the second spacer and the first electrode. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein each conformable spacer is formed of an easily deformable metal. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein each conformable spacer is formed of pure aluminum. 26. The method of claim 22, wherein the housing is collapsible, and said method further comprises the step of providing the housing with a compression structure for selectively collapsing the housing to deform the second spacer into making respective surface contact with surfaces adjacent thereto. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein an interior surface of the housing cavity directly facing any of the spacers is provided on a wall of the housing having a thickness sufficient to prevent deformation of the housing under compression of the second spacer. 28. A laser comprising; a housing having wall portions including a first wall portion and a second wall portion, wherein the wall portions define a cavity; a first electrode having a first exterior facing the first wall portion and first interior surface; a second electrode having second exterior surface facing the second wall portion and a second interior surface juxtaposed to the first interior surface of the first electrode; a spacer set having a heat conducting, electrically insulating first spacer and a conformable second spacer, wherein the first and second spacers are located between the first exterior surface of the first electrode and the first wall portion of the housing. 29. The laser of claim 28 wherein the first spacer contacts the first exterior surface of the first electrode. 30. The laser of claim 28 wherein the first spacer contacts the first exterior surface of the first electrode and the second spacer contacts the first wall portion. 31. The laser of claim 28 wherein the second spacer contacts the first exterior surface of the first electrode. 32. The laser of claim 28 wherein the second spacer contacts the first exterior surface of the first electrode and the first spacer contacts the first wall portion. 33. The laser of claim 28 wherein the spacer set further comprises a heat conducting, electrically insulating third spacer located between the first exterior surface of the first electrode and the first wall portion of the housing. 34. The laser of claim 33 wherein the first spacer faces the first exterior surface of the first electrode, the second spacer faces the first wall portion, and the third spacer is between the first and second spacers. 35. The laser of claim 28 wherein the first wall portion comprises a central portion, flange portions extending from the central portion, and flexible portions spaced apart from corresponding flange portions, wherein the first and second spacers are aligned with the central portion. 36. The laser of claim 35 wherein the flexible portions are configured to flex as the flange portions are driven toward the flexible portions to compress the first and second spacers between the central portion of the first wall portion and the first exterior surface of the first electrode.