Compact infrared countermeasure emitter

A laser system comprising:

• a laser having a lasing medium comprising a solid slab of semiconductor material;
• excitation means for exciting the lasing medium to emit infrared radiation to be radiated at a missile;
• cryogenic means for cooling said lasing medium to a cryogenic temperature;
• and
• wherein said cryogenic means includes a heat sink, means for extracting heat from said heat sink, and a thermal diffuser thermally interconnecting said heat sink with said lasing medium;
• said slab has a mating surface adapted for thermally mating with said diffuser for withdrawal of heat from the laser, and said sink has a mating surface mating with said diffuser;
• and
• said mating surface of said sink is greater than said mating surface of said slab, said diffuser serving to diffuse heat from the relatively small mating surface of said slab about the relatively large mating surface of said sink.

A countermeasures system for thwarting an attack by a heat seeking missile, comprising:

• a laser having a lasing medium;
• an exciter to excite the lasing medium to emit infrared radiation to be radiated at the missile;
• a cooling apparatus to cool said lasing medium;
• and
• wherein said exciter includes a modulator to modulate the radiation to produce pulses of the radiation;
• said cooling apparatus includes a heat sink and a thermal diffuser to thermally interconnect said heat sink with said lasing medium;
• and
• said lasing medium comprises a semiconductor material.

A laser system comprising:

• a laser having a lasing medium comprising a solid slab of semiconductor material;
• an exciter to excite the lasing medium to emit infrared radiation to be radiated at the missile;
• a cooling apparatus to cool said lasing medium;
• and
• wherein said cooling apparatus includes a heat sink, a heat extractor to extract heat from said heat sink, and a thermal diffuser to thermally interconnect said heat sink with said lasing medium;
• said lasing medium comprises a semiconductor material;
• said slab has a mating surface adapted for thermally mating with said diffuser for withdrawal of heat from the laser, and said sink has a mating surface mating with said diffuser;
• and
• said mating surface of said sink is greater than said mating surface of said slab, said diffuser serving to diffuse heat from the relatively small mating surface of said slab about the relatively large mating surface of said sink.

A countermeasures system for thwarting an attack by a heat seeking missile, comprising:

• a laser having a lasing medium;
• an exciter to excite the lasing medium to emit infrared radiation to be radiated at the missile;
• a cooling apparatus to cool said lasing medium;
• and
• wherein said exciter includes a modulator to modulate the radiation to produce pulses of the radiation;
• said cooling apparatus includes a heat sink and a thermal diffuser to thermally interconnect said heat sink with said lasing medium.