Abstract: An oscillator system is provided which produces a single mode output from a multimode seed beam and a multimode optical power source. The seed source employed in the oscillator system produces a multimode seed beam that is used to injection seed a multimode optical power source. The optical power source has a short cavity such that the longitudinal modes of the multimode optical power source are sufficiently spaced apart that a mode of the optical power source can be positioned relative to the multimode seed beam such that the beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source. By positioning a single longitudinal mode to overlap with the seed beam a high energy single longitudinal mode output is produced. The oscillator system preferably includes an output controller loop which serves to center the longitudinal mode output of the optical power source relative to the center of the seed beam.

Abstract: A laser or laser amplifier apparatus has a diode pump source producing a polarized pump beam. A laser head includes a gain medium that produces an output beam. One or more optical fibers are coupled to the diode pump source and deliver the pump beam to the laser head. A depolarization device is coupled to the diode pump source, laser head or optical fiber and produces an depolarized pump beam. By depolarizing the output beam, movement, including rotation, of the pump source does not comprise the output beam produced from the laser head.

Abstract: A diode pumped, multi axial mode, intracavity doubled, intracavity tripled laser, includes at least two resonator mirrors defining a resonator cavity. A laser crystal and a doubling crystal are positioned in the resonator cavity. A tripling crystal is also positioned in the resonator cavity. A diode pump source supplies a pump beam to the laser crystal and produces a laser crystal beam with a plurality of axial modes that are incident on the doubling crystal. This produces a frequency doubled output beam.Further, a diode pumped, multi axial mode, intracavity nonlinearly-converted laser is provided and includes at least two resonator mirrors defining a resonator cavity, a laser crystal and a nonlinear conversion apparatus positioned in the resonator cavity. A nonlinear conversion apparatus is also positioned in the resonator cavity.

Abstract: A laser includes a laser head and a power supply. At least two resonator mirrors define a resonator cavity. A gain medium is positioned in the resonator cavity. A temperature controller is positioned in the laser head and is coupled to the gain medium. The temperature controller maintains the gain medium at a temperature of 25 degrees C. or greater. A pump source supplies a pump beam to the gain medium and producing an output beam. The power source is coupled to the pump source.

Abstract: An oscillator system is provided which produces a single mode output from a multimode seed beam and a multimode optical power source. The seed source employed in the oscillator system produces a multimode seed beam that is used to injection seed a multimode optical power source. The optical power source has a short cavity such that the longitudinal modes of the multimode optical power source are sufficiently spaced apart that a mode of the optical power source can be positioned relative to the multimode seed beam such that the seed beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source. By positioning a single longitudinal mode to overlap with the seed beam where the seed beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source, a high energy single longitudinal mode output is produced.

Abstract: A method for creating a dielectric coating on a substrate produces near bulk density metal oxide coatings with extremely low surface roughness, microstructure and low defect density. The coatings have a low scatter of less than 50 ppm, low loss of less than 100 ppm, and an environmental stability of 0.1 or less spectral shift. A high vacuum chamber is provided which includes a substrate carrier device, an electron beam gun, a substrate, an evaporant source of coating material, a plasma bridge neutralizer and an ion gun. Coating material is evaporated with the electron beam gun to form a coating material evaporant that is directed to the substrate. An ion gun is directed toward the substrate and produces ions that arrive substantially simultaneously with the coating material evaporant at the substrate. The ions provide a momentum assist to the coating material. The result is a formation of a desirable dielectric thin film of coating material on the substrate.

Abstract: A laser or laser amplifier apparatus has a diode pump source producing a polarized pump beam. A laser head includes a gain medium that produces an output beam. One or more optical fibers are coupled to the diode pump source and deliver the pump beam to the laser head. A depolarization device is coupled to the diode pump source, laser head or optical fiber and produces an depolarized pump beam. By depolarizing the output beam, movement, including rotation, of the pump source does not comprise the output beam produced from the laser head.

Abstract: A laser system has a high reflector and an output coupler defining a laser cavity with an optical axis. Included is a pump source, a mode-locking apparatus and at least one fold mirror positioned in the laser cavity along the optical axis. A gain media is positioned adjacent to the fold mirror. The gain media has an overlap region where an intracavity beam entering the gain media substantially overlaps the intracavity beam exiting the gain media.

Abstract: A multi-axial mode frequency conversion system includes two resonators. At least two resonator mirrors define a first resonator cavity. A gain medium is positioned in the first resonator cavity. A pump source supplies energy to the gain medium. The first resonator cavity produces a first beam with a plurality of axial modes that are incident on a doubling crystal in the first resonator and produce a frequency doubled output beam. The first resonator cavity provides a sufficient number of axial modes to oscillate so that the doubled output beam has a noise of less than 3% RMS. At least two resonator mirrors define a second resonator cavity coupled to the output beam from the first resonator cavity. The second resonator is configured to provide resonant enhancement of at least a portion of the plurality of axial modes. A non-linear optical material is positioned in the second resonator and configured to produce a harmonic output beam.

Abstract: A mirror mount assembly has a base plate positioned at one end of a laser resonator, and a movable plate spaced from and positioned substantially parallel to the base plate. One or more elastic springs are connected between the base plate and the moveable plate to provide tip and tilt of the movable plate and translation of the moveable plate away from or towards the base plate. The elastic springs include a bushing made of an elastic material, and at least three elastic dimples formed in the bushing circumferentially in a plane across a bushing longitudinal axis. Further, the elastic spring has a bushing made of an elastic material capable of elastic expansion and contraction. The bushing includes a threaded interior side and a longitudinal axis from a first open end of the bushing to a second open end of the bushing.

Abstract: A high power diode pumped laser is disclosed which has at least one resonator mirror and an output coupler. At least one laser crystal with strong thermal focussing properties is included. The laser includes at least one diode pump source supplying a pump beam to the laser crystal, producing a thermal lens in the laser crystal. The combination of the laser crystal, thermal lens, resonator mirrors and output coupler create a confocal-to-concentric resonator. An output beam is generated, which may be polarized. Further, a Q-switch may be included in the resonator, particularly when the laser crystal is Nd:YAG.

Abstract: A high power diode pumped, acousto-optically Q-switched Nd:YVO.sub.4 laser includes at least one resonator mirror and an output coupler defining a resonator cavity. At least one acousto-optic Q-switch device and at least one laser crystal, with strong thermal focussing properties, are positioned in the resonator. One or more diode pump sources supply a pump beam to the laser crystal or crystals to generate an output beam. A power source supplies power to the diode pump source.

Abstract: A diode pumped, multiaxial mode, intracavity frequency doubled laser resonator has high amplitude stability, meaning that the percent root mean square noise (%RMS) of the doubled output beam power is low. A diode pump source supplies a pump beam to a laser crystal positioned in a resonator cavity and produces a multiaxial mode infrared beam that is incident on a doubling crystal, also positioned in the resonator. A frequency doubled output beam is produced that has an RMS of less than 3%, and in some cases less than 0.2%. The laser is highly efficient, provides high output power, and its output beam is of high spatial quality.

Abstract: A broad band polarizing beam splitter includes a first prism, including an incident beam surface, and an interface surface. A second prism is also included with an interface surface. The second prism is positioned adjacent to the first prism with the interface surfaces of the first and second prisms being adjacent to each other. A coating is disposed between the two interface surfaces. The coating is made of a geometric or arithmetic progression of layer thicknesses of alternating high and low refractive indices. A ratio of high refractive index to low refractive index is 1.1 or greater.

Abstract: A laser or laser amplifier apparatus has a diode pump source producing a polarized pump beam. A laser head includes a gain medium that produces an output beam. One or more optical fibers are coupled to the diode pump source and deliver the pump beam to the laser head. A depolarization device is coupled to the diode pump source, laser head or optical fiber and produces an depolarized pump beam. By depolarizing the output beam, movement, including rotation, of the pump source does not comprise the output beam produced from the laser head.

Abstract: A mirror mount assembly has a base plate positioned at one end of a laser resonator, and a movable plate spaced from and positioned substantially parallel to the base plate. One or more elastic springs are connected between the base plate and the moveable plate to provide tip and tilt of the movable plate and translation of the moveable plate away from or towards the base plate. The elastic springs include a bushing made of an elastic material, and at least three elastic dimples formed in the bushing circumferentially in a plane across a bushing longitudinal axis. Further, the elastic spring has a bushing made of an elastic material capable of elastic expansion and contraction. The bushing includes a threaded interior side and a longitudinal axis from a first open end of the bushing to a second open end of the bushing.

Abstract: A laser system includes a laser diode source with a plurality of output facets. The laser diode source produces a divergent output along an emission path. A microlens is optically coupled to the diode source. The microlens receives the divergent output along the emission path and modifies the divergence of the output in a high numerical aperture direction of the microlens A power source is coupled to the laser diode source.

Abstract: An oscillator system which produces a single mode output from a multimode seed beam and a multimode optical power source. The seed source employed in the oscillator system produces a multimode seed beam that is used to injection seed a multimode optical power source. The optical power source has a short cavity such that the longitudinal modes of the multimode optical power source are sufficiently spaced apart that a mode of the optical power source can be positioned relative to the multimode seed beam such that the seed beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source. By positioning a single longitudinal mode to overlap with the seed beam where the seed beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source, a high energy single longitudinal mode output is produced. The multimode seed beam preferably has a bandwidth, defined as the full width half maximum of the spectral output, of between about 0.025 cm.sup.

Abstract: A diode pumped laser includes a resonator mirror and an output coupler, defining a laser resonator with a resonator optical axis. A strong thermal lens laser crystal with a TEM.sub.00 mode diameter is mounted in the resonator along the resonator optical axis. A diode pump source supplies a pump beam to the laser crystal in the laser resonator, and produces an output beam with a diameter larger than the TEM.sub.00 mode diameter to reduce thermal birefringence. A power source supplies power to the diode pump source. A polarizing element can be positioned in the resonator, along with a aperture stop The laser operates well over a large range of pump powers. Its slope efficiency in the TEM.sub.00 mode is greater than 40%, with an overall efficiency greater than 25%. One of the lasing crystals used is Nd:YVO.sub.4. This material exhibits high gain and a short upper state lifetime. These properties make it attractive in designing a Q-switched laser, or one that is insensitive to optical feedback.

Abstract: The ellipticity of a thermal lens is controlled in a diode-pumped anisotropic crystal, such as Nd:YVO4. The crystal has two opposing optical end faces through which a pump beam and an output beam pass. The crystal also has opposing "c" axis crystal faces normal to a "c" axis of the crystal, and opposing "a" axis crystal faces that are normal to an "a" axis of the crystal. A mount supports the crystal and serves as a heat sink. A path is created to conduct heat from the crystal through the "c" faces, while the "a" faces are thermally isolated from heat conduction. The thermal lens ellipticity is controlled in order to produce a round, diffraction limited gaussian beam suitable for applications that require a high power, good quality beam from a simple, reliable laser source.