A side-pumped solid laser employs diode array pumping to produce a near-diffraction-limited output beam in at least one dimension of the output beam, while maintaining high efficiency operation. Conversion efficiency is enhanced by orientation of a nonlinear crystal for enhanced beam quality along one axis, while improved beam quality is obtained in the other dimension by increasing absorption of the diode light within the laser crystal, reducing the crystal width, and/or a multi-pass reflector on the crystal face opposite the pumped face. The laser may be used in frequency doubling or wavelength shifting systems employing non-linear optical media. In that case, the output beam has its good axis preferentially aligned to enhance stability or prevent walkoff.
A diode-laser side-pumped solid-state laser device (SSLD) has a cylindrical laser rod, a cooling tube, and a cylindrical mirror member having an inner mirror surface and a plurality of openings therein for introducing pumping laser. The laser rod receives the pumping laser, absorbs a portion of the pumping laser, and passes and focus the remaining portion of the pumping laser at a focal point disposed on the mirror surface. Substantially all the remaining portion of the pumping laser is reflected to be received and absorbed by the laser rod.
A linear array of diode laser emitters is manufactured with sufficient thermal and electronic isolation among the emitters to permit separate addressability. The emitter bar has first and second opposed surfaces and a third surface through which the emitters direct output. A first surface of the emitter bar is affixed to a "standoff" element that has conductive surfaces connecting each emitter to a power source; these connections are maintained after a series of spaces is formed between the emitters of the emitter bar. The second surface of the emitter bar is affixed to a heat sink to form a finished assembly.
A one-dimensional transverse multiple mode laser is used for a one-dimensional illumination apparatus. A pumping light source, and a laser medium and a wavelength conversion device (nonlinear optical crystal or a nonlinear optical device) which are disposed in a resonator, are provided, and the nonlinear optical crystal or a nonlinear optical device is irradiated with a line beam obtained by exciting the laser medium in an elliptic transverse mode pattern. Then, a one-dimensional light modulation device is irradiated with the wavelength-converted line beam, and scanning with the beam modulated by the modulation device is conducted to produce a two-dimensional image. For example, in a green illumination optical system, in the case where the nonlinear optical device for obtaining visible rays through second harmonic generation from IR rays oscillated by a solid state laser medium has a periodical poling structure, stoichiometric composition periodical poling lithium tantalate having been subjected to vapor transport equilibration is used, whereby reliability is enhanced and a reduction in cost can be achieved through mass production.
Optically pumped amplifiers, in particular solid-state amplifiers, comprise an amplification medium (1) and an optical pumping arrangement (5) via which the pumping radiation is coupled to the amplification medium (1), the pumping radiation being formed before coupling. The volume of the amplification medium is only partially pumped; the pumped volume of the amplification medium is approximately rectangular in cross-section and approximately perpendicular to the optical axis; and the ratio of the width to height of the rectangular cross-section is greater than 1:8.
A gain generator 10 for use in high-energy flowing gas lasers such as COIL devices comprises a chemical reactant mixing nozzle 12 disposed in a gain medium 16. The nozzle includes a plurality of blades 22 formed of a plastic material resistant to chemical attack at the operating temperature of the gain medium and non-catalytic to O.sub.2 (.sup.1 .DELTA.). A preferred material is polyetherimide. The gain medium includes octagonal shaped openings 50 for the optical mode of the laser beam.
