A waveguide gas laser having a laser resonator cavity of a variable length is subjected to cyclical varying of the length of the cavity during generation of a laser beam a length variation amount sufficient to force a laser beam generated in the resonator cavity though a substantially complete optical longitudinal cavity mode at a rate operable to smooth at least one laser beam parameter variation. In this manner variation in the laser beam parameter is averaged by moving through at least a portion of an optical longitudinal cavity mode.

A laser chamber may include a first discharge electrode, a second discharge electrode, a fan making a laser gas flow through a discharge space between the first and second discharge electrodes, a first insulating member disposed on upstream side and downstream side of the first discharge electrode in the laser gas flow, a first metal damper member disposed on upstream side of the second discharge electrode and a second insulating member disposed on downstream side of the second discharge electrode in the laser gas flow, and a second metal damper member disposed on downstream side of the second insulating member in the laser gas flow. In a boundary portion between the second metal damper member and the second insulating member, a first discharge space side surface of the second metal damper member may be located further toward the opposite side to the discharge space than a second discharge space side surface of the second insulating member. A first corner formed by the first surface and a first side surface of the second metal damper member, the first side surface being on the side of the second insulating member, may be in contact with a second side surface of the second insulating member, the second side surface being on the side of the second metal damper member.

Provided is a laser device that includes a laser chamber in which a pair of discharge electrodes are disposed; a line narrowing optical system including a grating disposed in a position outside the laser chamber; a beam expander optical system that increases a diameter of a light beam, outputted from the laser chamber and traveling toward the grating, in a first direction parallel to a discharge direction between the discharge electrodes and in a second direction orthogonal to the discharge direction; and a holding platform that is formed as a component separate from the laser chamber and the grating, holds the beam expander optical system, and forms along with the beam expander optical system a beam expander unit.

Provided is a laser device that includes a laser chamber in which a pair of discharge electrodes are disposed; a line narrowing optical system including a grating disposed in a position outside the laser chamber; a beam expander optical system that increases a diameter of a light beam, outputted from the laser chamber and traveling toward the grating, in a first direction parallel to a discharge direction between the discharge electrodes and in a second direction orthogonal to the discharge direction; and a holding platform that is formed as a component separate from the laser chamber and the grating, holds the beam expander optical system, and forms along with the beam expander optical system a beam expander unit.

A laser resonator comprising a specially designed front mirror 32. The front mirror 32 together with a rear mirror form a resonator cavity. As well as having a resonator cavity reflective surface 42, the front mirror 32 also has an output coupling reflective surface 44 which forms a continuation of the resonator cavity reflective surface 42 and extends at an angle thereto so as to direct a beam laterally out of the cavity. The output coupling reflective surface 44 and the resonator cavity reflective surface 44 are joined by a soft rounded edge 40 of arcuate cross-section, this rounded transition suppressing diffraction ripples that would otherwise be generated if the edge were hard, i.e. sharp.

A line narrowing module includes a prism that refracts laser light in a first plane, a grating that disperses the laser light in the first plane, first to fourth elements, and a rotation mechanism and narrows the linewidth of the laser light. The second element is supported between the first and fourth elements by the first element. The rotation mechanism rotates the second element relative to the first element around an axis intersecting the first plane. The prism is located between the second and fourth elements and so supported by the second element that the rotation mechanism rotates the prism and the second element. The third element has elasticity and is compressed and located between the prism and the fourth element. The fourth element receives reaction force from the compressed third element. The second element is mechanically independent of the fourth element in the rotational direction of the rotation mechanism.

A laser may comprise a ceramic core that at least partially defines a waveguide slab laser cavity. An interior surface of the waveguide slab laser cavity is coated with a layer of metal. The laser also includes a set of mirrors that form a resonator in the waveguide slab laser cavity. The laser also includes electrodes positioned such that the laser gas contained in the waveguide slab laser cavity is excited when an excitation signal is applied to the electrodes. In other embodiments, the core may be formed from a material other than ceramic. Additionally or alternatively, the layer may be formed from a material other than metal.

A planar waveguide laser crystal assembly includes an optical bench and a laser crystal mount mounted on the optical bench. The laser crystal mount includes an upper housing having an interior horizontal surface and an exterior horizontal, a lower housing coupled to the upper housing and having an interior horizontal surface and an exterior horizontal surface, and a cavity defined between the interior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings. A laser crystal is mounted in the cavity of the laser crystal mount. Each of the exterior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings is oriented parallel to a length of the laser crystal. The laser crystal assembly further includes a heat dissipating structure thermally coupled to at least one of the exterior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings to dissipate heat transferred from the laser crystal mount.

A laser light source is provided including an airtight container. A first resonance mirror and a second resonance mirror are disposed outside the airtight container. The first resonance mirror includes a lens unit and a reflection coating layer. The lens unit includes a first surface and a second surface, and the first surface is inclined with respect to the second surface.

Gaseous laser systems and related techniques are disclosed. Techniques disclosed herein may be utilized, in accordance with some embodiments, in providing a gaseous laser system with a configuration that provides (A) pump illumination with distinct edge surfaces for an extended depth and (B) an output beam illumination from a resonator cavity with distinct edges in its reflectivity profile, thereby providing (C) pump beam and output beam illumination on a volume so that the distinct edge surfaces of its pump and beam illumination are shared-edge surfaces with (D) further edge surfaces of the amplifier volume at the surfaces illuminated directly by the pump or output beams, as defined by optical windows and (optionally) by one or more flowing gas curtains depleted of the alkali vapor flowing along those optical windows. Techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, for example, in a diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) system, in accordance with some embodiments.