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US 4,228,406 AGranted
Laser apparatus
AssigneeUniversity of Rochester
InventorsOwen Lewis, Edmund M. Stogran
Life of this patent
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AssigneeUniversity of Rochester
InventorsOwen Lewis, Edmund M. Stogran
Estimating the term…
Laser apparatus is described wherein an active laser element, such as the disc of a face-pumped laser, is mounted in a housing such that the weight of the element is supported by glass spheres which fill a chamber defined in the housing between the walls of the housing and the edges of the laser element. The uniform support provided by the spheres enable the chamber and the pump side of the laser element to be sealed without affecting the alignment or other optical properties of the laser element. Cooling fluid may be circulated through the sealed region by way of the interstices between the spheres. The spheres, and if desired also the cooling fluid may contain material which absorbs radiation at the wavelength of parasitic emissions from the laser element. These parasitic emissions enter the spheres through the interface along the edge surface of the laser element and it is desirable that the index of refraction of the spheres and cooling fluid be near the index of refraction of the laser element. Thus support, cooling, and parasitic suppression functions are all accomplished through the use of the arrangement.
In laser apparatus having a laser element for emitting laser radiation in the form of a solid body containing active laser material, said laser element body having first and second surfaces at the ends thereof and a third surface extending longitudinally between said first and second surfaces, an improved mounting for said laser element comprising a housing defining with said third surface a chamber adjacent to said third surface, said chamber being spaced radially outward from said third surface and being disposed along said third surface, a multiplicity of spherical bodies, said spherical bodies being disposed in contact with each other and extending along said third surface and radially outward to completely fill said chamber so as to support the weight of said laser element body in said housing, said spherical bodies having diameters such that a plurality of said spherical bodies extend longitudinally along said third surface and another plurality of said spherical bodies extend radially outward from said third surface, said plurality of spherical bodies which extend along said third surface being in contact therewith.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.