# US 12,763,541 B2 · Coefficient of thermal expansion matched mounting technique for high power laser > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,763,541 B2 - Document ID: US12763541B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/844,393 - Filed: 2022-06-20 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-06-20 - Assignees: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Applicants: BAE SYSTEMS Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Inventors: David E. Thompson; Gerard J. Pelletier; Katherine J. Snell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12763541B2 ## CPC - H01S 3/0405: {Conductive cooling, e.g. by heat sinks or thermo-electric elements} - H01S 3/025: {of solid state lasers, e.g. housings or mountings} - H01S 3/0606: {with polygonal cross-section, e.g. slab, prism (H01S3/0604 takes precedence)} - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract The system and method for mounting a high power laser having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is thermally matched for the gain medium and the mount. In some cases, the gain medium is clamped by the mount along longitudinal edges and has a pair of free ends not in thermal contact with the mount. A thermal interface may be present along at least a portion of the longitudinal edges. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mount for a slab laser, comprising: a first half of the mount and a second half of the mount, wherein each half is securable to a heat sink via a plurality of heat sink fasteners; the first half of the mount and the second half of the mount being configured to accommodate a gain medium having a length and a first end and a second end, the gain medium being configured to be pumped from an upper face of the gain medium, the upper face facing away from the heat sink; and the first end of the gain medium and the second end of the gain medium are a pair of free ends and not in thermal contact with the first half or the second half of the mount so that the pair of free ends do not induce thermal lensing or create displacement issues; wherein thermal transfer occurs along a pair of edges of the gain medium that are coincident with the length of the gain medium, each half of the mount securing the gain medium via gain clamping fasteners and making thermal contact along the pair of edges to maintain the gain medium with a uniform temperature along its length. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mount according to claim 1, further comprising a thermal interface sandwiched between the gain medium and at least a portion of a length of the pair of edges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mount according to claim 1, wherein thermal monitoring is possible via temperature sensors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mount according to claim 1, wherein the gain medium is a crystal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The mount according to claim 1, wherein the mount comprises coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) material that is thermally matched to that of the gain medium and the material of the heat sink to which is the mount is mounted. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mount according to claim 1, wherein the mount dissipates about 100 W of heat. ### Claim 7 A mount for a slab laser, comprising: a first half of the mount and a second half of the mount, wherein each half is securable to a heat sink via a plurality of heat sink fasteners; the first half of the mount and the second half of the mount being configured to accommodate a gain medium having a length and a first end and a second end, the gain medium being configured to be pumped from an upper face of the gain medium, the upper face facing away from the heat sink; and the first end of the gain medium and the second end of the gain medium are a pair of free ends and not in thermal contact with the first half or the second half of the mount so that the pair of free ends do not induce thermal lensing or create displacement issues; wherein thermal transfer occurs along a pair of edges of the gain medium that are coincident with the length of the gain medium, each half of the mount securing the gain medium via gain clamping fasteners and making thermal contact along the pair of edges to maintain the gain medium with a uniform temperature along its length; and wherein the gain medium is clamped along the pair of edges, a gap is present below the gain medium, and the upper face and lower face of the gain medium opposite the upper face are free of thermal contact with the first half and the second half of the mount. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The mount according to claim 7, further comprising a thermal interface sandwiched between the gain medium and at least a portion of a length of the pair of edges. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The mount according to claim 7, wherein the gain medium is pumped from above, below, or a side. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The mount according to claim 7, wherein thermal monitoring is possible via temperature sensors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The mount according to claim 7, wherein the gain medium is a crystal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The mount according to claim 7, wherein the mount comprises coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) material that is thermally matched to that of the gain medium and the material of the heat sink to which is the mount is mounted. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The mount according to claim 7, wherein the mount dissipates about 100 W of heat. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The mount according to claim 9, wherein the gain medium is pumped from above. ### Claim 15 A method of manufacturing a cooling mount for a laser, comprising: providing a mount, comprising: a first half of the mount and a second half of the mount, wherein each half is securable to a heat sink via a plurality of heat sink fasteners; the first half of the mount and the second half of the mount being configured to accommodate a gain medium having a length and a first end and a second end, the gain medium being configured to be pumped from an upper face of the gain medium, the upper face facing away from the heat sink; and the first end of the gain medium and the second end of the gain medium are a pair of free ends and not in thermal contact with the first half or the second half of the mount, the pair of free ends do not induce thermal lensing or create displacement issues; wherein thermal transfer occurs along a pair of edges of the gain medium that is coincident with the length of the gain medium; securing the gain medium between the first half and the second half of the mount via gain clamping fasteners; making thermal contact along the pair of edges of the gain medium with the first half and the second half of the mount to maintain the gain medium with a uniform temperature along its length; and minimizing thermal lensing when lasing at operating power by pre-pumping the gain medium at a power lower than operating power between operation to pre-heat the gain medium. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising providing a thermal interface sandwiched between the gain medium and at least a portion of a length of pair of edges. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising providing thermal monitoring via temperature sensors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising thermally matching a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) material of the mount to that of the gain medium and the material of the heat sink to which the mount is mounted. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising dissipating about 100 W of heat via the mount. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the mount is configured for pumping the gain medium from above.