Conductively cooled, diode-pumped solid-state slab laser
First Claim
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1. A conductively cooled, optically diode-pumped slab laser apparatus comprising, in combination:
- (a) an elongated slab of active laser host having two opposite ends, two opposed sides, and a pair of parallel, optically plane faces extending along its length for receiving radiation for optical pumping of the host, and for acting as total internal reflective surfaces for creating internal optical paths;
(b) first and second transparent, thermally conductive solid heat sink means, each having an optically plane face which is dimensioned to match and is bonded to a parallel optically plane face of said laser host by means of a bonding agent having a rafractive index which is smaller than the refractive index of the laser host, said heat sink means having a substantially flat surface opposite the one cavity optically plane face for mounting semiconductor diode pumping means; and
(c) semiconductor diode pumping means mounted on said heat sink means for exciting the laser host.
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Abstract
A conductively cooled, optically diode-pumped slab laser comprises a slab laser host 1 having transparent, thermally conductive heat sink means 2 bonded to its pump faces. Semiconductor lasers or light emitting diodes 3 are mounted on the heat sink means for generating pumplight which is transmitted through the heat sink means 2 into laser host 1 to cause lasing. Heat flow within the laser host 1 is substantially bi-directional, thereby minimizing optically harmful thermal distortion of the host. The apparatus can function as laser amplifier, laser oscillator or combined oscillator/amplifier.
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10 Claims
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1. A conductively cooled, optically diode-pumped slab laser apparatus comprising, in combination:
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(a) an elongated slab of active laser host having two opposite ends, two opposed sides, and a pair of parallel, optically plane faces extending along its length for receiving radiation for optical pumping of the host, and for acting as total internal reflective surfaces for creating internal optical paths; (b) first and second transparent, thermally conductive solid heat sink means, each having an optically plane face which is dimensioned to match and is bonded to a parallel optically plane face of said laser host by means of a bonding agent having a rafractive index which is smaller than the refractive index of the laser host, said heat sink means having a substantially flat surface opposite the one cavity optically plane face for mounting semiconductor diode pumping means; and (c) semiconductor diode pumping means mounted on said heat sink means for exciting the laser host. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification