# US 7,609,742 B2 · Star configuration optical resonator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,609,742 B2 - Document ID: US7609742B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/164,907 - Filed: 2005-12-09 - Published: 2007-06-14 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-12-09 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Inventors: David Dick - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609742B2 ## CPC - H01S 3/07: consisting of a plurality of parts, e.g. segments (H01S3/067 takes precedence) - H01S 3/025: {of solid state lasers, e.g. housings or mountings} - H01S 3/08: Construction or shape of optical resonators or components thereof - H01S 3/09415: {the pumping beam being parallel to the lasing mode of the pumped medium, e.g. end-pumping} - H01S 3/0604: {in the form of a plate or disc} - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract An optical resonator has an internal cavity with an output coupler, an end mirror, and one or more active mirror amplifiers (AMAs) that are arranged in a manner to form a laser radiation propagation path within the cavity which substantially has the form of a star polygon trajectory. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A linear optical resonator, comprising: an optical cavity, for amplifying laser radiation; and a plurality of optical elements disposed in a circumferential array along the perimeter of said cavity, each in an allocated one of a plurality of substantially equally spaced perimeter segments, and each cooperatively aligned to receive and transmit laser radiation through said cavity along a propagation path substantially in the form of a star polygon, wherein said circumferential array of said plurality of optical elements comprises an outcoupler, an end mirror, and one or more active mirror amplifier (AMA) modules, each of said plurality of elements being positioned along the cavity perimeter at an associated one of a like plurality of vertices of said star polygon laser propagation path, said outcoupler and said end mirror being positioned at terminal vertices of said star polygon propagation path for circulating the laser radiation therebetween, and said AMA modules being arranged in operating relationship to one another at vertices intermediate thereto for amplifying the laser radiation cycling between said outcoupler and said end mirror. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The linear optical resonator of claim 1, where the laser radiation is transmitted through said cavity at a cavity wavelength. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The linear optical resonator of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of optical elements is positioned in said circumferential array at an associated one of a like plurality of vertices of said star polygon laser propagation path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The linear optical resonator of claim 1, wherein said plurality of optical elements further include a highly reflective mirror which is cooperatively aligned in said circumferential array to exchange laser radiation between said outcoupler and said AMA modules. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The linear optical resonator of claim 1 wherein the sum number of said plurality of optical elements is a prime number. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The linear optical resonator of claim 5, wherein each said AMA module includes at least one, actively cooled solid-state laser gain medium arranged in an active mirror configuration, and a pump for providing optical pump radiation into said laser gain medium for excitation thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The linear optical resonator of claim 5, wherein: said prime number is N; and each of said N number of optical elements are aligned in said circumferential array to exchange laser radiation with first and second others of said N number of elements which are positioned X number of said perimeter segments clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively, therefrom in said circumferential array, said N and X numbers being relatively prime numbers, and said laser propagation path being substantially in the form of an {N, X} star polygon. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The linear optical resonator of claim 7, where X=(N−1)/2. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The linear optical resonator of claim 8, where N=11 and X=5. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The linear optical resonator of claim 9, wherein said optical cavity is unstable. ### Claim 11 A liner optical resonator, comprising: an optical cavity, for amplifying laser radiation; and N number of optical elements, including an outcoupler, an end mirror, and one or more active mirror amplifier (AMA) modules, disposed in a circumferential array at substantially equal spaced intervals along the perimeter of said cavity, each of said N number of elements being positioned and cooperatively aligned therein to exchange laser radiation with first and second others of said N number of elements which are positioned X number of said perimeter segments clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively, therefrom in said circumferential array, said N number and said X number being relatively prime numbers, whereby said N number of optical elements circulate laser radiation through said cavity along a propagation path substantially in the form of an {N, X} star polygon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The linear optical resonator of claim 11, where X=(N−1)/2. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The linear optical resonator of claim 12, where N=11 and X=5. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The linear optical resonator of claim 13, wherein said optical cavity is unstable. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The linear optical resonator of claim 13, wherein said plurality of optical elements further includes a highly effective mirror which is cooperatively aligned in said circumferential array to exchange laser radiation between said outcoupler and said AMA modules. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The linear optical resonator of claim 11, wherein each said AMA module includes at least one, actively cooled solid-state laser gain medium arranged in an active mirror configuration, and a pump for providing optical pump radiation into said laser gain medium for excitation thereof. ### Claim 17 A linear optical resonator, comprising: an optical cavity, for amplifying laser radiation; and a plurality of optical elements arranged in two or more groups, including at least a first group and a last group, each having N number of optical elements, said first group including an coupler and one or more active mirror amplifier (AMA) modules and said last group including an end mirror and one or more AMA modules, said N number of elements in each group being disposed in a planar circumferential array, in a group common tier, in substantially equal perimeter segments of said cavity, said N optical elements of each group being cooperatively aligned within their group common tier to exchange laser radiation with first and second others of said N number of elements that are positioned X number of said perimeter segments clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively, therefrom in said group common tier, said N number and said X number being relatively prime numbers, whereby laser radiation is circulated within each said group common tier along a propagation path substantially in the form of an {N, X} star polygon; wherein: at least one of said AMA modules in each said group common tiers being aligned out of the plane of its circumferential array to exchange laser radiation with another AMA in another group common tier, whereby amplification of the laser radiation within said optical cavity occurs with circulation of the laser energy through the AMA modules of each of the common group tiers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The linear optical resonator of claim 17, wherein each said AMA module includes at least one, actively cooled solid-state laser gain medium arranged in an active mirror configuration, and a pump for providing optical pump radiation into said laser gain medium for excitation thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The linear optical resonator of claim 17, where X=(N−1)/2. ### Claim 20 A method of amplifying laser energy in an optical resonator, comprising: providing an optical cavity, for amplifying laser radiation; and disposing a plurality of optical elements in a circumferential array along the perimeter of said cavity, each in an allocated one of a plurality of substantially equally spaced perimeter segments, and each cooperatively aligned to receive and transmit laser radiation through said cavity along a propagation path substantially in the form of a star polygon, wherein said circumferential array of said plurality of optical elements comprises an outcoupler, an end mirror, and one or more active mirror amplifier (AMA) modules; positioning each of said plurality of elements along the cavity perimeter at an associated one of a like plurality of vertices of said star polygon laser propagation path; positioning said outcoupler and said end mirror at terminal vertices of said star polygon propagation path for circulating the laser radiation therebetween; and arranging said AMA modules in operating relationship to one another at vertices intermediate thereto for amplifying the laser radiation cycling between said outcoupler and said end mirror.