Optical pump for high power laser

An optical pump arranged to pump a compact solid state pulse laser, said optical pump comprising:

• one or more optical pump modules, each pump module further comprising;
• a high power VCSEL chip, said VCSEL chip further including,
• at least one VCSEL array having a plurality of VCSEL devices, wherein a respective first terminal of each VCSEL device are connected together to a first electrical contact, and a respective second terminal of each VCSEL device connected together to a second electrical contact,
• a heat spreading mount including at least two contact pads of which at least a first contact pad covers a large area on the mount, wherein the VCSEL array is bonded to the first contact pad such that the first electrical contact is electrically connected to the first contact pad, and the second electrical contact is electrically connected to a second contact pad, such that the first and second contact pads form a first and second electrode of each pump module,
• wherein the optical pump is placed co-linear with a resonant cavity including a compact solid state gain medium and a Q-switch, along a central axis of an enclosure, wherein the one or more pump modules are connected together to collectively generate pump light having a high output power that is focused on the gain medium using focusing optics placed at predetermined distance from the gain medium such that upon pumping the gain medium short laser pulses are emitted.