Direct diode-pumped Ti:sapphire laser amplifiers use fiber-coupled laser diodes as pump beam sources. The pump beam may be polarized or non-polarized. Light at wavelengths below 527 nm may be used in cryogenic configurations. Multiple diode outputs may be polarization or spectrally combined.

A laser medium unit includes: a plate-shaped laser gain medium which includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and generates emission light by the irradiation of excitation light from the first surface; a reflection member that is provided on the second surface so as to reflect the excitation light and the emission light; and a cooling member that cools the laser gain medium. The laser gain medium includes an irradiation area which is irradiated with the excitation light and an outer area which is located outside the irradiation area when viewed from a thickness direction intersecting the first surface and the second surface. The cooling member is thermally connected to the second surface through the reflection member so that a cooling area of the laser gain medium is formed on the second surface.

A laser amplifier module having an enclosure includes an input window, a mirror optically coupled to the input window and disposed in a first plane, and a first amplifier head disposed along an optical amplification path adjacent a first end of the enclosure. The laser amplifier module also includes a second amplifier head disposed along the optical amplification path adjacent a second end of the enclosure and a cavity mirror disposed along the optical amplification path.

A method and apparatus for characterizing an optical element. The optical element is part of a laser and is mounted on a translation stage to scan the optical element transverse to an intracavity laser beam. A performance characteristic of the laser is recorded as a function of position of the optical element.

An all-solid-state single-frequency continuous wave laser is provided, which includes a symmetric ring resonant cavity, a first gain crystal and a second gain crystal symmetrically arranged in the symmetric ring resonant cavity, and a gain unit symmetrically arranged between the first gain crystal and the second gain crystal. The gain unit includes at least one gain crystal arranged in sequence. In the gain unit, a third gain crystal nearest to the first gain crystal and a fourth gain crystal nearest to the second gain crystal are symmetrically arranged. Each gain crystal is coupled with a separate pump source. Each gain crystal in the symmetric ring resonant cavity is equipped with a separate pump source, and the imaging system is eliminated in the symmetric ring resonant cavity. On the premise that the pump power is not limited, the laser can achieve stable single-frequency operation in a wide pump range.

A laser amplifier module having an enclosure includes an input window, a mirror optically coupled to the input window and disposed in a first plane, and a first amplifier head disposed along an optical amplification path adjacent a first end of the enclosure. The laser amplifier module also includes a second amplifier head disposed along the optical amplification path adjacent a second end of the enclosure and a cavity mirror disposed along the optical amplification path.

This invention is a broadband intra cavity laser mode convertor. This is a hologram of a complex phase mask imprinted inside of a volume Bragg grating with wide spectral width recorded in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass. This hologram is a broadband phase converting monolithic device capable of use over a broad wavelength range at high instant and average power because of low absorption coefficient and low nonlinear refractive index of PTR glass. Therefore, it can be used for broadband optical beam transformations and conversion of modes in laser resonators.

A method and arrangement for compensation of thermally induced depolarising effects in an optical resonator employ a retroreflective prism effecting multiple instances of total internal reflection as one end mirror of the resonator. The retroreflective prism has a first roof edge face pair made of two perpendicular roof edge faces and at least one second face with total internal reflection or a second roof edge face pair. Laser radiation entering parallel to the optical axis of the resonator undergoes total internal reflection through an angle ? at the second face or the second roof edge face pair before it undergoes total internal reflection at the first roof edge face pair and emerges again from the retroreflective prism in a manner parallel to the optical axis of the resonator following another instance of total internal reflection at the second face or the second roof edge face pair.

A system includes a master oscillator configured to generate a low-power optical beam. The system also includes a planar waveguide (PWG) amplifier configured to generate a high-power optical beam using the low-power optical beam. The PWG amplifier has a larger dimension in a slow-axis direction and a smaller dimension in a fast-axis direction. The system further includes at least one adaptive optic (AO) element configured to modify the low-power optical beam along the slow-axis direction and to modify the low-power optical beam along the fast-axis direction. In addition, the system includes a feedback loop configured to control the at least one AO element. The modification in the slow-axis direction can compensate for thermal-based distortions created by the PWG amplifier, and the modification in the fast-axis direction can compensate for optical misalignment associated with the master oscillator and the PWG amplifier.

An optical power beam transmission system, with a directional light transmitter and receiver. The transmitter contains an amplifying laser medium, and this together with a retroreflector in the receiver, forms a laser resonator. When lasing sets in, the receiver can extract optical power through an output coupler and convert it to electrical power. The gain medium may be a disc having a thickness substantially smaller than its lateral dimensions. The laser resonator is operated as a stable resonator to ensure safe operation. This is achieved by use of an adaptive optical element, for reducing the diameter of the energy beam impinging on the gain medium, thereby increasing the overlap between the energy beam and the gain medium. As the transmitter-receiver distance is changed, such as by movement of the receiver, the adaptive optical element focal length changes to ensure that the cavity remains within its stability zone.