Abstract: An optically pumped semiconductor ring laser having a plurality of reflective elements optically aligned with one another to form a ring-shaped resonant cavity. A semiconductor lasing medium is mounted within the ring-shaped resonant cavity by a transparent, heat conductive mount located within a vacuum/cooling chamber of the type which allows the passage of a laser beam therethrough. A pump beam initiates a lasing action within the ring-shaped resonant cavity to produce said laser beam and said laser beam exits the resonant cavity as a pair of outputs. An alternate embodiment of the above described semiconductor ring laser provides a semblance of unidirectional lasing operation.

Abstract: A tunable CW semiconductor platelet laser having an optical pump source and an external resonant cavity. The resonant cavity is bounded by a pair of spaced-apart reflective elements and has a prism therein. One of the reflective elements is partially transmissive and rotatable about its vertical axis. The semiconductor platelet is mounted upon the other reflective element and both are mounted within a temperature controlled, vacuum environment while being capable of being moved in three dimensions. The prism located within the resonant cavity aids in laser tuning upon rotation of the partially transmissive reflective element.