High power CW mid-IR laser

A continuous wave (“CW”) laser with a mid-IR output comprising:

• a resonant cavity;
• a gain medium being formed into a ring rotatable about an axis defined by an inner circumferential surface, an outer circumferential surface, a first face and a second face, the gain medium with a first non-stationary gain portion between the first and second faces within the resonant cavity to provide first mid-IR gain, and a second non-stationary gain portion spaced radially from the first non-stationary portion and located between the first and second faces within the resonant cavity to provide supplementary mid-IR gain;
• a first pump source outputting a first pump beam propagating through the first non-stationary gain portion parallel to the axis and sufficient to emit the first CW laser beam so as to provide the first mid-IR gain;
• a second pump source outputting a second beam propagating through the second non-stationary gain portion parallel to the axis and sufficient to emit a CW laser second laser beam so as to provide the second mid-IR gain;
• a rotatable mounting structure in thermal contact with the ring, and
• a motor coupled to the rotatable mounting structure to rotate the ring about the axis;
• and
• wherein the first and second non-stationary gain portions of the ring in transit through the resonant cavity receive respective second and first laser beams so as to increase a power of the mid-IR output.