Abstract: A solid state laser amplifier includes a diode pump source and a crystal capable of lasing light at a fundamental wavelength. The source is directed into the crystal, and a seed beam is also coupled along an input path into the crystal to initiate lasing, which amplifies the seed beam. The amplifier is intended for intermittent use, or use over a wide range of input power levels, so that variations of the energy input and output give rises to extreme thermal challenges. To manage heat stress in the amplifier crystal, both the pump beam and the seed beam are directed into the crystal through a cap of undoped material which is non-absorbent at the seed or pump wavelength, and is diffusion bonded to the crystal, thus serving as a thermal reservoir and allowing the laser to operate over a broad power band, with high gain over an extended range of saturation values, and to maintain stable operation during intermittent or changing operation of the seed laser.

Abstract: A solid state laser amplifier includes a diode pump source and a crystal capable of lasing light at a fundamental wavelength. The source is directed into the crystal, and a seed beam is also coupled along an input path into the crystal to initiate lasing, which amplifies the seed beam. The amplifier is intended for intermittent use, or use over a wide range of input power levels, so that variations of the energy input and output give rises to extreme thermal challenges. To manage heat stress in the amplifier crystal, both the pump beam and the seed beam are directed into the crystal through a cap of undoped material which is non-absorbent at the seed or pump wavelength, and is diffusion bonded to the crystal, thus serving as a thermal reservoir and allowing the laser to operate over a broad power band, with high gain over an extended range of saturation values, and to maintain stable operation during intermittent or changing operation of the seed laser.

Abstract: A laser diode package (1) couples laser diode outputs into a plurality of fibers (21), and these are bundled and brought to an output face (2') that produces a divergent composite beam from the fiber ends (21'). The beam end pumps a solid state laser (100) across a gap (6), and the divergence allows a wide tolerance in alignment of the pump and crystal (3). Preferably, one cavity mirror (7) is a focusing mirror that reconcentrates residual pump light in the desired mode. In a preferred embodiment, the output face of the package is at a short stub (2) or ferrule that provides a simple and effective pump beam centering alignment. The solid state laser (100) may be a rod or crystal (3) and is preferably sufficiently short, in relation to pump beam diameter and divergence in the rod, that the pump beam within the rod lies in the TEM.sub.OO mode volume of the laser cavity. A concave mirror then refocuses residual pump light back into that mode.

Abstract: A diode pumped doubling system employs a pump diode, a crystal and doubler in a laser cavity with the diode and is operated in a pulsed or low duty cycle pumping regimen, while the cavity length is sufficiently short to stabilize the transient responses to pulsed diode operation and produce stable and known or controlled energy output under the non-CW pumping regimen. The construction allows stable output to be maintained with much looser temperature control, and to be achieved during the initial turn-on interval of the laser diode. In a preferred embodiment, the device employs a doubler which is clamped across its non-critical axis, and is operated with a control system which creates isotherms in the active mode volume.

Abstract: A laser diode package couples laser diode outputs into a plurality of fibers, and these are bundled and brought to an output face that produces a divergent composite beam from the fiber ends. The beam end pumps a solid-state laser across a gap, and the divergence allows a wide tolerance in alignment of the pump and crystal. Preferably, one cavity mirror is a focusing mirror that reconcentrates residual pump light in the desired mode. In a preferred embodiment, the output face of the package is at a short stub or ferrule that provides a simple and effective pump beam centering alignment. The solid-state laser may be a rod or crystal and is preferably sufficiently short, in relation to pump beam diameter and divergence in the rod, that the pump beam within the rod lies in the TEM.sub.OO mode volume of the laser cavity. A concave mirror then refocuses residual pump light back into that mode. The rod preferably has a high index at the pump wavelength, but need not have high absorption.

Abstract: A side-pumped solid laser employs diode array pumping to produce a near-diffraction-limited output beam in at least one dimension of the output beam, while maintaining high efficiency operation. Conversion efficiency is enhanced by orientation of a nonlinear crystal for enhanced beam quality along one axis, while improved beam quality is obtained in the other dimension by increasing absorption of the diode light within the laser crystal, reducing the crystal width, and/or a multi-pass reflector on the crystal face opposite the pumped face. The laser may be used in frequency doubling or wavelength shifting systems employing non-linear optical media. In that case, the output beam has its good axis preferentially aligned to enhance stability or prevent walkoff.

Abstract: A diode pumped laser is wavelength converted using an intracavity non-linear optical crystal, and the wavelength converted output is passively stabilized by a short cavity using unpolarized laser output. End pumping limits the number of transverse cavity modes, and intracavity etalon effects may be achieved by additional coatings deposited upon the laser or non-linear crystals themselves, further reducing the longitudinal mode spectrum. Wavelength converted output is enhanced by minimizing backward conversion in a linear cavity, or by folding the cavity via an angled face of the non-linear or the laser crystal.