Capillary heat pipe cooled diode pumped slab laser

A cooling apparatus for a diode pumped slab laser, the cooling apparatus using a working fluid having liquid and vapor phases, comprising:

• one or more axial capillary evaporators formed in a thermally conductive substrate material of the diode pumped slab laser and having an input end and output end;
• liquid header means for conducting the liquid phase of the working fluid to the input end of the evaporator;
• vapor header means for carrying out the vapor phase of the working fluid from the output end of the evaporator;
• and
• condenser means connected between the vapor conduit means and the liquid conduit means for condensing the vapor phase of the working fluid to the liquid phase of the working fluid.

A diode pumped slab laser for producing an output laser beam at a first wavelength along an axis and being cooled using a working fluid having liquid and vapor phases, comprising:

• diode array means for producing a pump light beam transverse to the axis, the diode array means consisting of a layered structure of axially extending thin diode strips with first and second edge sides, the pump light beam passing through the first edge sides and including light having a second wavelength;
• a source of an axial input laser light beam including light having the first wavelength;
• axially extending slab means for receiving the pump light beam and the axial input laser light beam and producing the axial output laser beam in response thereto, the slab means being made from solid-state material having a first side positioned opposite to the first edge sides of the diode strips;
• an axially extending capillary evaporator having an axially extending surface positioned in close proximity to the second edge sides of the diode strips, the evaporator further having an input end and an output end;
• liquid conduit means for conducting the liquid phase of the working fluid to the input end of the evaporator;
• and
• vapor conduit means for conducting the vapor phase of the working fluid from the output end of the evaporator.

A diode pumped slab laser for producing an output laser beam at a first wavelength along an axis and being cooled using a working fluid having liquid and vapor phases, comprising:

• diode array means for producing a pump light beam transverse to the axis, the diode array means consisting of a layered structure of axially extending thin diode strips with first and second edge sides, the pump light beam passing through the first edge sides and including light having a second wavelength;
• a source of an axial input laser light beam including light having the first wavelength;
• transmission means comprising a thermally resistive axially extending block of material that transmits light having the second wavelength, the transmission means being transversely adjacent to a first side of the diode array and being adapted for transmitting the pump light beam transversely therethrough to an opposite side;
• axially extending slab means for receiving the pump light beam and the axial input laser light beam while remaining substantially thermally isolated from the diode array, and for amplifying the axial input laser light beam and producing the axial output laser beam in response thereto, the slab means being made from solid-state material having a first side positioned opposite to the first edge sides of the diode strips;
• an axially extending capillary evaporator having an axially extending surface positioned in close proximity to the second edge sides of the diode strips, the evaporator further having an input end and an output end;
• liquid conduit means for conducting the liquid phase of the working fluid to the input end of the evaporator;
• and
• vapor conduit means for conducting the vapor phase of the working fluid from the output end of the evaporator.

A diode pumped slab laser for producing an output laser beam at a first wavelength along an axis and being cooled using a working fluid having liquid and vapor phases, comprising:

• diode array means for producing a pump light beam transverse to the axis, the diode array means consisting of a layered structure of axially extending thin diode strips with first and second edge sides, and the pump light beam including light having a second wavelength;
• a source of an axial input laser light beam including light having the first wavelength;
• axially extending slab means for receiving the pump light beam and the axial input laser light beam while remaining substantially thermally isolated from the diode array, and for amplifying the axial input laser light beam and producing the axial output laser beam in response thereto, the slab means being made from solid-state material having a first side positioned opposite to the first edge sides of the diode strips;
• an axially extending capillary evaporator having an axially extending surface positioned in close proximity to second edge sides of the diode strips, the evaporator further having an input end and an output end;
• liquid conduit means for conducting the liquid phase of the working fluid to the input end of the evaporator, the liquid conduit comprising liquid channel means transversely adjacent a first side of the diode array and transversely adjacent the first side of the axially extending slab of solid state material, the liquid channel means being for carrying the liquid phase of the working fluid to the input end of the evaporator, transmitting the pump light beam from the first side of the diode array to the first side of the axially extending slab of solid state material, and further for substantially resisting the conduction of thermal energy from the diode array to the axially extending slab of solid state material, and
• vapor conduit means for conducting the vapor phase of the working fluid from the output end of the evaporator.