Abstract: A transverse pumping system for a laser rod uses symmetrically arranged banks of laser diodes which create overlapping patterns of illumination inside the rod. Cooling is provided by a symmetrically constructed circulation system which directs a turbulent flow of cooling water against the laser rod and against a heat sink for the diode banks. Cooling water for the laser rod flows through a glass tube surrounding the rod. This enables the cooling water to perform an auxiliary function in focussing the illumination generated by the pumping diodes.

Abstract: A transversely pumped solid state laser includes: a solid state gain medium having thickness, width and longitudinal dimensions; means for forming a laser cavity with the medium for generating a laser beam along the longitudinal dimension; and a semiconductor laser pump source for directing a collimated pump beam to the medium along the width dimension transversely to the longitudinal dimension constrained toward the center of the medium and having a width which is substantially shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the medium for spacing the edges of the collimated beam away from the longitudinal ends of the medium to reduce thermomechanical distortion of the longitudinal ends of the medium and consequent distortion of the laser beam.

Abstract: A laser diode power combiner comprises a dye laser operably coupled to an array of laser diodes for combining optical power from the laser diodes into a single, coherent laser beam.

Abstract: An optical amplifier pumping system with built-in redundant reliability for lightwave communication system provides plural levels of redundancy. A first level of redundancy deals with redundancy in the form of plural primary laser diode sources in the lightwave communication system. A second level of redundancy deals with redundancy of multiple single mode laser emitters on the same chip or bar sufficiently segmented so as not to interfere with operation of or cause failure to adjacent or neighboring emitters on the same chip or bar. A third level of deals with redundancy of a plurality of fiber pump sources for pumping a plurality of serially connected injection signal fiber amplifiers.

Abstract: An electrically-pumped short wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) is optically coupled to a long wavelength VCSEL for optically pumping the long wavelength VCSEL. The long wavelength VCSEL has a long wavelength active-absorber medium interposed between a top long wavelength mirror and a bottom long wavelength mirror. The long wavelength VCSEL emits radiation at a first wavelength in a range from 1250 nm to 1650 nm. The short wavelength VCSEL emits radiation at a second wavelength in a range from 700 nm to 1050 nm.

Abstract: An all-solid-state laser comprising a slab (1) of gain medium, a diode laser pump system (3) configured in an end pumping geometry with the gain medium (1) and a heat sink thermally contacted to the gain medium (1) wherein the diode laser pump system (3) and the gain medium (1) are cooperably arranged so that in use a positive thermal lens is capable of being formed within the medium, the gain medium (1) having a thickness (d-d') made as small as possible while permitting the substantially unhindered passage through the slab of the laser mode established between the two mirrors (M1, M2).

Abstract: A technique for operating a diode pumped solid state laser in a continuous-wave (cw) mode using diodes blocks (12) that are individually operated in a pulsed mode. For some high power laser applications, it is desirable to provide for operation in pulsed and cw modes, but pump diodes are typically designed for efficient operation in only one of these modes. The invention includes a controller (20) that pulses the individual diode blocks (12) on and off, but not necessarily in unison. For a pulsed mode of operation, the diodes (12) in an array are pulsed either at the same time, or sub-arrays are pulsed in a temporally interleaved manner for a higher effective pulse repetition rate. For the cw mode of operation, the diodes (12) are pulsed sequentially in sub-arrays (A-E), such that at least one sub-array is always energized and the complete array appears to be providing continuous pumping energy. In one embodiment, the sub-arrays (A-E) are columns of the array.

Abstract: A high-efficiency fluorescent emitter includes an excitation source and a w phonon host doped with erbium. The emitter can be used as a lasing medium or as a phosphor. Typical hosts include RcX.sub.3 and chalcogenide glasses, wherein Rc is yttrium, gadolinium, lutetium, lanthanum or a mixture thereof, and X is a halogen or a mixture of halogens.

Abstract: A high fluence diode laser device is provided which achieves high fluence by carefully designing the mount for the diode bars so as to permit high power and long pulse operation with little temperature rise in the diode lasers; providing a microlens array in front of the diode array to improve brightness; and utilizing a non-imaging (i.e., without lenses) optical condenser between the microlens array and the target to efficiently transmit light energy from the diode array to a smaller target area.

Abstract: A laser system is provided with a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged to energize the laser source. The individual diodes have separate controls so that they may be turned on separately from one another for different periods of time and to produce different amounts of illumination. A controller such as a CPU may be programmed to actuate the controllers in a desired manner to achieve to a controlled light profile upgrading versatility and accuracy of laser systems. In addition to sequencing individual light emitting diodes in various combinations, the diodes may be energized simultaneously in various combinations. A first combination may be illuminated for a relatively long time and a second combination energized to overlap part or all of the period of that first combination, or even to extend beyond the period of the first. Thus, in addition to adjusting pulse width time, time spacing between pulses and overlap of pulses may be adjusted as well as light amplitude of individual diode light sources.

Abstract: The specification describes a heterostructure laser utilizing GaAs based materials that emits at 0.98 .mu.m and is thus suitable for pumping an erbium doped fiber waveguide amplifier. The composition of the cladding layers of the laser is designed to give exceptional electrical and optical confinement without the high levels of aluminum that are found to reduce the lifetime of high performing prior art devices.

Abstract: A laser system includes a laser resonator cavity having a resonant path and an Er,Yb:glass lasing element with an output of from about 1.5 to about 1.6 micrometers within the laser resonator cavity. A diode array optically pumps the lasing element to emit light. A Q-switch lies along the resonant path within the laser resonator cavity. The Q-switch is formed of a host material having a concentration of uranium ions therein, so as to be a saturable absorber of the light emitted by the lasing element. The Q-switch is preferably a uranium-doped fluoride such as U:CaF.sub.2, U:SrF.sub.2, or U:BaF.sub.2.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the form and timing of pulses emitted by a high-power solid-state laser, without the need for complex feedback circuits. The width and peak intensity of relaxation pulses emitted by the laser are controlled by use of an acousto-optic modulator (14) installed in the laser cavity, to lock the relaxation pulses to the frequency of radio-frequency (rf) control signals applied to the modulator. The number and average rate at which the pulses are emitted from the laser are independently controlled by varying the duty cycle of diodes (20) used to pump solid-state amplifiers (18) installed in the laser cavity. Short pump pulses can be selected to deliver only a few relaxation pulses from the laser, or longer pump pulses can be selected to deliver large numbers of relaxation pulses during each pump pulse.

Abstract: A direct diode laser system includes N laser head assemblies (LHAs) generating N output beams, N optical fibers receiving respective N output beams and generating N received output beams, and a torch head recollimating and focusing the N received output beams onto a single spot. Preferably, each of the laser head assemblies of the direct diode laser system includes M modules generating M laser beams, wherein each of the M laser beams has a corresponding single wavelength of light, M-1 dichroic filters, wherein each of the M-1 dichroic filter transmits a corresponding one of the M laser beams and reflects all other wavelengths, and a fiber coupling device collecting the M laser beams to produce a respective one of the N output beams. In an exemplary case, the M-1 dichroic filters function as band pass filters. A method of generating a high fluence, high power laser beam is also described.

Abstract: An assembly of simple, like laser diode submounts or laser diode bars lend themselves to volume manufacturing techniques. Individual diodes, or diode bars are supported on electrically-insulating submounts which have electrically-isolated metallizations applied thereto for mounting on a single insulating plate and to one another in a stack and for mounting to a common heat sink.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laser diode-pumped solid-state laser resonator which can be scaled and pumped longitudinally including in a folded or zig-zag resonator cavity. The resonator employs opposed laser rod crystals paired with pump light diodes in a configuration which ensures good spatial overlap and can permit the simultaneous generation of one or more laser wavelengths. The resonator also has at one end thereof a total reflector, eg. a laser rod crystal or a mirror and at the other end thereof, a partial reflector i.e. a mirror, to resonate and amplify the laser beam in the system and outcouple a portion thereof as desired.

Abstract: Wing pumping a Tm.sup.3+ doped, end pumped solid state laser generates 2 .mu.m laser radiation at high average powers with high efficiency. Using laser diode arrays to end-pump the laser rod or slab in the wing of the Tm.sup.3+ absorption band near 785 nm results in 2-for-1 quantum efficiency in Tm.sup.3+ because high Tm.sup.3+ concentrations can be used. Wing pumping allows the thermal power generated in the rod or slab to be distributed over a large enough volume to make thermal management practical in the laser gain medium even at high average power operation. The approach is applicable to CW, Q-switched, and rep-pulsed free-laser operation.

Abstract: The invention provides a portable compact laser system that emits a frequency-doubled green laser beam, which system is thermoelectrically cooled in air and has a power output of up to 1 watt or more. The portable laser system of the invention includes a diode-pumped laser crystal, which emits light into a folded resonator cavity defined by such crystal, a turning mirror and an end mirror, with preferably an SHG crystal between the mirrors, for frequency-doubling IR light to green light and outcoupling the latter through the turning mirror. Such laser system packages into a volume of less than 1 cubic foot, uses solid state cooling technology and requires only single phase, 115 VAC prime power. The portable laser of the invention is small enough and light enough to be hand-carried aboard commercial aircraft by, eg. an eye surgeon and powerful enough to be used in eye surgery.

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: In a solid-state laser amplifying apparatus and a solid-state laser apparatus, a high-power laser beam can be produced in a high efficiency under stable condition. The solid-state laser amplifying apparatus is comprised of a solid-state element containing an activated solid medium; a flow tube for causing a cooling medium used to cool the solid-state element to flow therethrough; a light condensing device arranged so as to surround the solid-state element, for holding the flow tube by directly, or indirectly sandwiching the flow tube, an inner surface of which is formed as a diffusion/reflection surface; an excitation light source arranged outside the light condensing device, for emitting excitation light used to excite the solid-state element; and an opening portion provided with the light condensing device, for conducting the excitation light.

Abstract: In an optical wavelength converting apparatus, a fundamental wave impinges upon a crystal of a nonlinear optical material, the type II of phase matching between the fundamental wave and its second harmonic is effected, and the second harmonic of the fundamental wave is thereby radiated out of the optical wavelength converting apparatus. Two crystals constituted of the same material are employed as the crystal. The two crystals have equal lengths and are located in orientations such that corresponding optic axes may be shifted 90.degree. from each other. The optical wavelength converting apparatus yields the second harmonic having the maximum possible output power and yet can be kept small in size and low in cost.

Abstract: A harmonic generator laser system which features a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) or distributed feedback (DFB) tunable diode laser coupled to a quasi-phasematched (QPM) waveguide of optically nonlinear material. Tuning of the DBR laser may be achieved either thermally or via current injection, or both, halving the wavelength of a red laser into the visible blue spectral band. Thermal tuning may provide a coarse tuning adjustment, while injected current may provide fine tuning accessible to a user. Separately or in combination with current tuning, a modulation signal may be applied to the DBR laser for achieving an intensity modulated or a pulsed output. In another embodiment, modulation may be achieved by frequency modulation of the laser. A very compact tunable blue laser is formed. In yet another embodiment a double clad fiber amplifier is disposed between the tunable laser and the waveguide.

Abstract: A monolithic semiconductor laser array includes an insulating substrate, a plurality of semiconductor layers epitaxially grown on the substrate and forming a laser structure, and at least one groove transverse to the substrate extending through the semiconductor layers into the substrate, dividing the semiconductor laser structure into at least two mutually isolated parts. Within each of the isolated parts of the semiconductor laser structure, a first groove includes a side wall transverse to the substrate and forming a first resonator facet of a semiconductor laser. A second groove in each of the parts includes a second side wall transverse to the substrate and opposite the first side wall, forming a second resonator facet of the semiconductor laser in that part.

Abstract: A quasi four-level solid-state laser is provided. A laser crystal is disposed in a laser cavity. The laser crystal has a LuAG-based host material doped to a final concentration between about 2% and about 7% thulium (Tm) ions. For the more heavily doped final concentrations, the LuAG-based host material is a LuAG seed crystal doped with a small concentration of Tm ions. Laser diode arrays are disposed transversely to the laser crystal for energizing the Tm ions.

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: An optical system is disclosed for improving the brightness symmetry of a beam emitted from a laser diode where the beam has a large width and a narrow height. The optical system includes a tilt plate for displacing one half of the width of the beam downwardly. A first beam steering prism functions to tilt the remaining, second half of the beam width in a plane parallel to the width dimension so that the second half travels towards the first half. A second beam steering prism is provided to tilt the second half of the beam so that its propagation axis is parallel to the propagation axis of the first half and wherein the second half is stacked above the first half. The optical system functions to improve the brightness symmetry of the beam by a factor of about five. The corrected beam can be used to improve the performance of a solid state laser which is end pumped by a broad area laser diode or a laser diode bar.

Abstract: A laser diode array includes a dielectric block with a "direct bonded" conductor layer. The conductor layer is segmented by diode bar spaces cut through it, and a laser diode bar is positioned in each space. Current through the conductor layer energizes the laser diode bars. In one form, the laser diode array and the conductor layer form a conductor ring surrounding a laser medium which is energized by the laser diode bars. In another form, a coolant flow tube within the conductor ring forms an annular coolant channel around the enclosed laser medium. In still another form, the conductor ring is itself surrounded by coolant channels.

Abstract: A discrete-element Er:YAG laser, side pumped by a 220 Watt peak-power InGaAs diode array, generates >500 mWatts at 2.94 .mu.m, and is tunable over a 6 nm range near about 2.936 .mu.m. The oscillator is a plano-concave resonator consisting of a concave high reflector, a flat output coupler, a Er:YAG crystal and a YAG intracavity etalon, which serves as the tuning element. The cavity length is variable from 3 cm to 4 cm. The oscillator uses total internal reflection in the Er:YAG crystal to allow efficient coupling of the diode emission into the resonating modes of the oscillator. With the tuning element removed, the oscillator produces up to 1.3 Watts of average power at 2.94 .mu.m. The duty factor of the laser is 6.5% and the repetition rate is variable up to 1 kHz. This laser is useful for tuning to an atmospheric transmission window at 2.935 .mu.m (air wavelength).

Abstract: A solid state layer includes a rod-like laser crystal which is stimulated by two transversally pumped light beams along at least a portion of the length of the crystal. This causes the light beam along the axis of the laser crystal to be modulated in its intensity so that in the axis direction, areas of high and relatively low energy density are created. Alteratively, a single transversally coupled light beam pump which includes a frequency doubling crystal is utilized instead of two separate pump light beams.

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: Methods and apparatus for side pumping lasers are disclosed. By pre-collimating radiation emitted by laser diode arrays, the present invention provides transverse mode matching to achieve fundamental, or TEM.sub.00, mode operation in the corresponding (nominally vertical) axis. Optics associated with the resonant cavity additionally redirect energy longitudinally through the gain media, enhancing fundamental mode operation in the (nominally horizontal) other axis as well. With dual forty-watt linear arrays of laser diodes and four longitudinal passes, TEM.sub.00 mode outputs exceeding fifteen watts have been achieved.

Abstract: A laser system uses a broad-area high-power diode laser in cooperation with a nonimaging concentrator, or an unstable resonator semiconductor laser, to end pump a relatively thin, solid-state, highly doped lasant. The laser system generates a very high density of excited ions in the lasant mode volume to produce high peak power pulses having comparable magnitudes over a wide range of pulse repetition frequencies.

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 disclosure is a high-power solid laser in which an emissive array of semiconductor lasers in a first stage pumps a solid YAG-type laser in a second stage. The structure of the emissive array, which is an integrated circuit, includes rods of semiconductor lasers alternating with grooves, the rods and grooves being parallel. The invention involves incrusting the material of the solid laser bars into the grooves between the rods of semiconductor lasers. This material is either placed in hybrid form or deposited to make an integrated structure.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to provide a solid-state laser device which can supply a laser beam pumped by a solid-state laser medium from the distal end of an optical fiber. In order to achieve this object, the solid-state laser device includes a solid-state laser device main body incorporating a semiconductor laser and a first optical system for shaping a first laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser; an optical fiber cable connected to the solid-state laser device main body and accommodating an optical fiber for guiding the first laser beam shaped by the first optical system; and a solid-state laser medium which is incorporated in the distal end portion, at the light exit side, of the optical fiber cable, and outputs a second laser beam by generating the first laser beam.

Abstract: An optical system is disclosed for improving the brightness symmetry of a beam emitted from a laser diode where the beam has a large width and a narrow height. The optical system includes a tilt plate for displacing one half of the width of the beam downwardly. A first beam steering prism functions to tilt the remaining, second half of the beam width in a plane parallel to the width dimension so that the second half travels towards the first half. A second beam steering prism is provided to tilt the second half of the beam so that its propagation axis is parallel to the propagation axis of the first half and wherein the second half is stacked above the first half. The optical system functions to improve the brightness symmetry of the beam by a factor of about five. The corrected beam can be used to improve the performance of a solid state laser which is end pumped by a broad area laser diode or a laser diode bar.

Abstract: A corner reflector (2) is applied for a laser head to couple collimated pump beams (3) emitted from one or more diode bars (5, 8) transversely into the laser rod (1) with an even 4-sided pumping. A Keplerian telescope (23) with internal nonlinear crystal (27, 37) is employed for a compact cavity design, to achieve mode-matched pumping, compensation of the thermal lens effect, and efficient intracavity frequency conversion.

Abstract: The present invention is a fluorozirconate laser host doped with a suffict amount of Tm.sup.3+ ions to permit significant emission at a wavelength between about 790 nm and about 830 nm when pumped at a wavelength or wavelengths to excite Tm.sup.3+ ions from the .sup.3 H.sub.6 ground state to the .sup.3 F.sub.4 excited state, and then from the .sup.3 F.sub.4 excited state to the .sup.3 H.sub.4 excited state.

Abstract: There is disclosed an illuminating light source device suitable for illumination at a vibrating place or a portion where an electric lamp is hardly exchangeable for new one, as well as for general luminairs. The illuminating light source device comprises a semiconductor laser element for outputting a laser beam of a particular wavelength in the range from infrared rays to ultraviolet rays, a lens for diffusing the laser beam from the semiconductor laser element and a fluophor for converting the diffused laser beam from the diffusion lens into visible light. Otherwise, the illuminating light source device comprises a group of semiconductor laser elements for respectively outputting laser beams of three primary colors consisting of red, green and blue, a lens for diffusing the laser beam from each of the semiconductor laser elements, and lenses for superposing the diffused laser beams from the diffusion lenses.

Abstract: A lens support structure for supporting one or a plurality of optical elements, the structure including a base which may be a passive or an active optical element having one or more grooves formed therein. The structure is intended for use with a laser diode array, for collimating the emission of the laser diode bars in the array. To this end, the grooves in the base are formed precisely, to match the pitch of the grooves in the laser diode array, so that when the array and the lens support structure are matched, the light from the bars in the array reaches the optical elements disposed in the grooves in the lens support structure. The grooves may be formed along one axis, or along orthogonal axes. The optical elements in the grooves may be microlenses. Also, the base may have the grooves formed as slots extending completely through the base, support rails being formed unitarily with the base orthogonally to the slots.

Abstract: Plural planar optical devices are simultaneously pumped by a single pumping source. Various arrangements for accomplishing such pumping are disclosed. By utilizing these arrangements, the topology and routing of integrated arrays including optical devices are simplified.

Abstract: A laser device includes a laser rod; a dielectric coolant tube around the laser rod, forming an annular rod coolant channel; a segmented conductive ring around the coolant tube with laser diodes between adjacent ring segments; the ring segments and laser diodes together forming a current path around the ring; and a sleeve around the ring, forming an annular diode coolant channel.

Abstract: A long wavelength VCSEL according to the present invention is optically coupled to and optically pumped by a shorter wavelength, electrically pumped VCSEL. Short wavelength radiation emitted from the top surface of the underlying VCSEL is transmitted through the lower mirror of the long wavelength VCSEL. Long wavelength radiation is preferably emitted from the top surface of the long wavelength VCSEL. The two VCSELs are preferably joined together using a transparent optical adhesive, a wafer-fusing process, or a metal to metal bond.

Abstract: An optical path rotating device, disposed in front of a linear array laser diode having a plurality of long and narrow and linearly arranged emitters for emitting a group of laser beams in the form of a dotted line, the optical path rotating device being able to convert the laser beams from the emitters into laser beams lined up in the form of ladder rungs by receiving the group of laser beams collimated by being refracted in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the dotted line, rotating the positions of the laser beams from the emitters substantially for a right angle, and emitting the laser beams, and a laser apparatus, which uses the optical path rotating device, for collimating the substantially rung-shaped laser beams into two directions independently, bringing the laser means into focus, thus increasing the density of the laser energy at the focus.

Abstract: An optical fibre amplifier (50) comprises a SiO.sub.2 --Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 --GeO.sub.2 single-mode optical fibre (52) doped with E.sub.r.sup.3+. It is pumped by 1.55 .mu.m and 1.47 .mu.m optical sources (54 and 56) whose optical outputs are combined by an optical coupler (58) and are then coupled to the fibre (52) by a further optical coupler (50). A source of optical signals to be amplified (62) is also coupled to the fibre (52) by the further coupler (60). The E.sub.r.sup.3+ ions provide a three-level lasing scheme with a fluorescence peak at about 1.53 .mu.m. Low noise amplification of optical signals in the long-wavelength tail of the fluorescence spectrum with suppressed ASE at the fluorescence spectrums peak wavelength is obtained as follows. The 1.47 .mu.m pump provides some low noise amplification of the optical signal but preferentially amplifies the 1.55 .mu.m pump source. The resultant 1.55 .mu.

Abstract: A solid laser medium is pumped by a semiconductor laser in order to produce a solid laser beam. The solid laser beam having thereby been obtained is caused to impinge upon a crystal of a nonlinear optical material, and the wavelength of the solid laser beam is thereby converted into a different wavelength. A nonlinear optical coefficient of the crystal of the nonlinear optical material utilized for the wavelength conversion is represented by d.sub.IJ, where I, J=1, 2, 3, and an principal axis of indicatrix of the nonlinear optical material corresponding to J is represented by .alpha.. The direction of linear polarization of a laser beam, which is produced by the semiconductor laser and serves as a pumping beam, is set in the direction, which coincides with the principal axis of indicatrix .alpha. when it is viewed from the direction of incidence of the pumping beam.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses an apparatus for pumping a vibronic laser, which comprises: a transition-metal ion-containing solid state vibronic laser gain medium; a means for exciting said laser medium to emit coherent radiation said exciting means being a pumping source comprising at least one laser diode operating at a wavelength shorter than 750 nm; and an optical resonator means for generating and controlling said coherent radiation. The present invention also encompasses a method of pumping a vibronic laser comprising the steps of: generating a laser diode pumping beam at a wavelength shorter than 750 nm; exciting a transition-metal ion-containing solid state vibronic laser gain medium by impinging said laser diode pumping beam on said transition-metal ion-containing solid state laser gain medium, so as to excite the laser medium; and an optical resonator to emit coherent radiation.

Abstract: An efficient, fundamental transverse mode selected, diode pumped, solid state laser is disclosed. The laser consists of a slab of laser gain material such as Nd:YLF. Cavity forming optics are positioned around the slab of laser gain material. A laser diode bar, collimated by a micro-lens is used for side pumping a constrained gain region in the slab of laser gain material, with the dimensions transverse to the direction of beam propagation of the constrained gain region being smaller in at least one axis than the transverse dimensions of the fundamental transverse mode volume in the laser gain material. The cavity forming optics and the side pumping of the constrained gain region act in conjunction such that the fundamental transverse mode is automatically selected in the solid state laser.

Abstract: A monolithically integrated photonic circuit combining a semiconductor source of excitation light with an optically active waveguide formed on the substrate. The optically active waveguide is preferably formed of a spin-on glass to which are added optically active materials which can enable lasing action, optical amplification, optical loss, or frequency conversion in the waveguide, depending upon the added material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for propagating photoelectrons in a semiconductor material and for controlling the direction of photoelectrons produced in a semiconductor material. A selected region of the semiconductor material is irradiated with two beams of light that overlap in space and time. The two interfering light beams have a predetermined phase relationship and are harmonically related such that the frequency of one is approximately a multiple of two of the other. Each of the beams of light produce substantially a same number of photoelectrons in the semiconductor material. As the phase relationship between the two beams is varied, the direction of propagation of the photoelectrons produced, varies.