Multi-slab solid state laser system

Abstract

The laser system features a plurality of thin solid-state gain channels mounted radially about a common axis. These gain channels may be excited by multiple flashlamps or by extended arrays of light-emitting-diodes. The gain channels are also mounted in a parallel configuration within a single optical resonator and thereby share a common cavity mode. The resonator may be a stable resonator, a conventional unstable resonator, or a toric resonator. Each resonator configuration may be externally phase-locked via external reference oscillator injection or by self-injection via an internally generated master oscillator. When incorporating a very large number of gain channels, the concept provides an efficient and inexpensive means for constructing extremely high powered, optically-pumped, lasers in very small physical packages. The technique, which is applicable to a wide variety of laser gain media, either solid or liquid, permits high average power operation to be achieved without serious beam quality degradation. Typical solid state gain media include Nd:YAG, Nd:Glass, GSGG, GGG and Alexandrite.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.