Thermally improved slab laser pump cavity apparatus with integral concentrator and method of making same

A laser pump cavity apparatus, comprising:

• a doped solid state medium providing an active lasing region having a top surface and a bottom surface and at least two side surfaces surrounding a laser beam axis;
• a cladding region surrounding said solid state medium;
• an upper cold plate located above said top surface of said solid state medium with a lower surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and
• a lower cold plate located below said bottom surface of said solid state medium with an upper surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and wherein the width of the cold plates are chosen to achieve substantially planar isotherms parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the active lasing region.

A laser pump cavity apparatus, comprising:

• a doped solid state medium providing an active lasing region having a top surface and a bottom surface and at least two side surfaces surrounding a laser beam axis;
• a cladding region surrounding said solid state medium;
• an upper cold plate located above said top surface of said solid state medium with a lower surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and
• a lower cold plate located below said bottom surface of said solid state medium with an upper surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and wherein the thermal communication between the cold plates and the cladding region is provided by compliant thermal interfaces of variable thickness between and in direct contact with the cold plates and the cladding region.

A laser pump cavity apparatus for achieving substantially planar isotherms parallel to broad surfaces of an active lasing region, comprising:

• a doped solid state medium providing an active lasing region having a top surface and a bottom surface and at least two side surfaces surrounding a laser beam axis;
• absorbing regions adjacent to said side surfaces;
• a cladding region surrounding said solid state medium and said absorbing regions;
• an upper cold plate located above said top surface of said solid state medium with a lower surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and
• a lower cold plate located below said bottom surface of said solid state medium with an upper surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• cooling channels located within each of said cold plates;
• wherein the width of the cold plates are chosen to achieve substantially planar isotherms parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the active lasing region;
• and
• wherein the thermal communication between the cold plates and the cladding region is provided by compliant thermal interfaces of variable thickness between and in direct contact with the cold plates and the cladding region;
• wherein the thickness of said compliant thermal interfaces varies across the width of the cold plates;
• and
• wherein said cooling channels are located to achieve substantially planar isotherms parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the active laser region.

A method for manufacturing a laser pump cavity apparatus, comprising.

• doping a solid state medium with ions to provide an active lasing region having a top surface and a bottom surface and at least two side surfaces surrounding a laser beam axis;
• doping a solid state medium with ions to provide absorbing regions adjacent to said side surfaces;
• and
• providing a cladding region adjacent to the top and bottom surfaces of said solid state medium and said absorbing regions.

A method for manufacturing a laser pump cavity apparatus, comprising:

• doping a solid state medium with ions to provide an active lasing region having a top surface and a bottom surface and at least two side surfaces surrounding a laser beam axis;
• providing a cladding region surrounding said solid state medium;
• providing an upper cold plate located above said top surface of said solid state medium with a lower surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and
• providing a lower cold plate located below said bottom surface of said solid state medium with an upper surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and wherein the width of the cold plates are chosen to achieve substantially planar isotherms parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the active lasing region.

A method for manufacturing a laser pump cavity apparatus, comprising:

• a doping a solid state medium to provide an active lasing region having a top surface and a bottom surface and at least two side surfaces surrounding a laser beam axis;
• providing a cladding region surrounding said solid state medium;
• providing an upper cold plate located above said top surface of said solid state medium with a lower surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and
• providing a lower cold plate located below said bottom surface of said solid state medium with an upper surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and wherein the thermal communication between the cold plates and the cladding region is provided by compliant thermal interfaces of viable thickness placed between and in direct contact with the cold plates and the cladding region.

A method for manufacturing a laser pump cavity apparatus, comprising:

• doping a solid state medium with ions to provide an active lasing region having a top surface and a bottom surface and at least two side surfaces surrounding a laser beam axis;
• doping a solid state medium with ions to provide absorbing regions adjacent to said side surfaces;
• providing a cladding region surrounding said solid state medium and said absorbing regions;
• providing an upper cold plate located above said top surface of said solid state medium with a lower surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• and
• providing a lower cold plate located below said bottom surface of said solid state medium with an upper surface in thermal communication with said cladding region;
• providing cooling channels located within each of said cold plates;
• wherein the width of the cold plates are chosen to achieve substantially planar isotherms parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the active lasing region;
• wherein the thermal communication between the cold plates and the cladding region is provided by compliant thermal interfaces of variable thickness placed between and in direct contact with the cold plates and the cladding region;
• and
• wherein said cooling channels are located to achieve substantially planar isotherms parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the active laser region.