End and side pumped laser

A laser comprising:

• an active medium in a resonant optical cavity,
• a first laser source emitting a laser light beam and disposed relative to said active medium so as to direct said beam into an end of said active medium, said active medium thereby being optically pumped so as to produce a coherent light output having an intensity,
• a second laser source emitting a beam of laser light and disposed relative to said active medium so as to direct additional laser light into a side of said active medium and thereby amplify the intensity of said coherent light output to effectively eliminate spiking and delays, and
• means for modulating at least one of said laser sources at a high frequency rate with well controlled high quality pulses, hereby providing modulation of said coherent light output.

A laser comprising,

• an active medium in a resonant optical cavity for producing a coherent light output having an intensity,
• at least one first semiconductor laser producing an output beam,
• means for coupling said output beam into an end of said active medium, said output beam pumping said active medium thereby causing a desired transverse cavity mode of said laser to resonate,
• at least one second semiconductor laser pumping a side of said active medium so as to amplify the intensity of side coherent light output of said active medium in said desired transverse cavity mode effectively eliminating spiking and delays, and
• means for modulating at least one of said first and second semiconductor lasers at a high frequency rate with well controlled high quality pulses, whereby said coherent light output of said active meduum has a modulated intensity.