Diode-pumped gas lasers

A diode-pumped gas laser comprising:

• a source of optical diode-pumping light, the diode-pumping light having a bandwidth defining a center wavelength;
• a gas cell having a first optical window for receiving the diode-pumping light, a second optical window for transmitting a laser light having a wavelength, a gas inlet and a gas outlet;
• a laser gas disposed within the gas cell, the laser gas comprising a lasing gas having at least one absorbing and lasing atomic or molecular gas having an optical absorption band, the bandwidth of the diode-pumping light at least partially overlapping the absorption band of the lasing gas;
• gas laser resonator means for providing an output laser beam having one or more laser wavelengths, the gas laser resonator means having a fundamental TEM00 mode volume distribution;
• diode optics means for directing the diode-pumping light through the first optical window, the diode optic means being adapted and configured to couple the diode-pumping light directly into the lowest order fundamental TEM00 mode of the gas laser resonator means;
• and
• a gas flow system in fluid communication with the gas inlet and the gas outlet of the gas cell.