Abstract: In one form of the invention, there is provided a laser comprising a front mirror and a rear mirror which are disposed so as to establish a reflective cavity therebetween; a gain region disposed between the front mirror and the rear mirror, the gain region being constructed so that when it is appropriately stimulated by light from a pump laser, the gain region will emit light; one of the front mirror and the rear mirror is substantially fully reflective at the lasing wavelength and the other of the front mirror and rear mirror being partially reflective at the lasing wavelength so as to allow a beam of laser light to be emitted therefrom; and an intermediate mirror disposed between the rear mirror and the front mirror, at least a portion of the gain region being disposed between the rear mirror and the intermediate mirror, the rear mirror and the intermediate mirror being reflective at the pump wavelength and being spaced from one another so as to cause the pump light to be reflected between the rear mirror a

Abstract: A laser comprising: a front mirror and a rear mirror which are disposed so as to establish a reflective cavity therebetween; a gain region disposed between the front mirror and the rear mirror, the gain region being constructed so that when the gain region is appropriately stimulated by light from a pump laser, the gain region will emit light; and one of the front mirror and the rear mirror being positioned to admit pump light into the reflective cavity, the one of the front mirror and the rear mirror having a low and substantially constant reflectance over a pumping wavelength range and having a high and substantially constant reflectance over a lasing wavelength range.

Abstract: In one form of the invention, there is provided a laser comprising a front mirror and a rear mirror being disposed so as to establish a reflective cavity therebetween; a gain region disposed between the front mirror and the rear mirror, the gain region being constructed so that when the gain region is appropriately stimulated by light from a pump laser, the gain region will emit light; and the rear mirror having a phase compensated reflector to act as an output coupler for a lasing mode and to reflect pump light at a proper phase so as to provide a second pumping pass through the gain region; wherein the gain region is positioned relative to the rear mirror so as to position the peaks of the reflected pump light in alignment with said gain region during the second pumping pass therethrough; and wherein the gain region is positioned relative to said front mirror and said rear mirror so as to provide proper lasing.