Solid state laser apparatus

• US 5,299,213 A
• Filed: 03/04/1993
• Issued: 03/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Takashi, Kuba, Kazuki, Yagi, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Davie, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/026,100
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 372/34, 372/35, 372/36, 372/70, 372/72
• US Class Current: 372/35
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/025 of solid state lasers, e.g. housings or mountings
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0407 Liquid cooling, e.g. by water
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/042 for solid state lasers H01S3/0401 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0606 with polygonal cross-section, e.g. slab, prism H01S3/0604 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08072 Thermal lensing or thermally induced birefringence; Compensation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/093 focusing or directing the excitation energy into the active medium

Abstract

A solid state laser apparatus comprises a laser medium having a pair of optically flat surfaces confronting to each other, and side surfaces intersecting the optically flat surfaces along an optical axis, the laser medium having a rectangular cross section; heat insulators adhered to the side surfaces of the laser medium; and reflective films for shielding the thermal insulators from pumping light. A solid state laser apparatus may comprise heat conductors bonded to the side surfaces of the laser medium, the heat conductors removing heat which occurs at bonding surfaces, the amount of removed heat from the side surfaces being smaller than that from the optically flat surfaces.

Claims

1. A solid state laser apparatus, comprising:

a pumping light source for supplying a pumping light;

a solid state laser medium having a pair of optically flat surfaces confronting to each other for receiving said pumping light, and side surfaces intersecting said optically flat surfaces along an optical axis, said laser medium having a rectangular cross section;

a thermal insulator adhered to each of said side surfaces of said laser medium; and

means, coupled to said thermal insulators, for shielding said thermal insulators from said pumping light.

2. A solid state laser apparatus, comprising:

a laser medium having a pair of optically flat surfaces confronting each other and side surfaces intersecting said optically flat surfaces along an optical axis, said laser medium having a rectangular cross section;

a supply of a refrigerant disposed around said laser medium; and

heat conductors immersed in said refrigerant and bonded to said side surfaces of said laser medium, said heat conductors removing heat at bonding surfaces of said heat conductors with said laser medium, the amount of removed heat from said side surfaces being smaller than that from said optically flat surfaces;

said laser medium, said supply of refrigerant and said heat conductors being assembled in an integral unit.

3. The solid state laser apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cooling means further comprises means for controlling cooling performance of said heat conductors.

4. A solid state laser apparatus, comprising:

a pumping light source for supplying a pumping light;

a solid state laser medium having a pair of optically flat surfaces confronting to each other for receiving said pumping light, and side surfaces intersecting said optically flat surfaces along an optical axis, said laser medium having a rectangular cross section;

a thermal insulator adhered to each of said side surfaces of said laser medium; and

means for shielding said thermal insulators from said pumping light, wherein said means for shielding said thermal insulators comprises a highly reflective coating film applied to each of said insulators.

6. A solid state laser apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said means for shielding said thermal insulators further comprises two light shielding plates, each of which is attached to a respective side of said thermal insulators and extends parallel to said optically flat surfaces.

5. A solid state laser apparatus, comprising:

a pumping light source for supplying a pumping light;

a solid state laser medium having a pair of optically flat surfaces confronting to each other for receiving said pumping light, and side surfaces intersecting said optically flat surfaces along an optical axis, said laser medium having a rectangular cross section;

a thermal insulator adhered to each of said side surfaces of said laser medium; and

means for shielding said thermal insulators from said pumping light, wherein said means for shielding said thermal insulators comprises two light shielding plates, each of which is attached to a respective side of said thermal insulators and extends parallel to said optically flat surfaces.