A CW laser with a rotating ring gain element is disclosed. The ring is pumped at multiple locations and the laser generates a mid-IR output. Multiple pumped gain portions of the ring provide a power scaled output. The gain portions may be positioned in a single resonator cavity, in multiple resonator cavities, and in MOPA architectures with associated focusing, folding, and combining optical elements.

A laser device that allows its user to change the wavelength of oscillation is obtained. The laser device includes a light source unit provided with a laser element for emitting laser light by forming a laser resonator with an output mirror, the laser element having a rear end surface on which a reflective film is formed; an optical element for determining a wavelength of oscillation emitted from the laser element, on the basis of an angle of the laser light incident on the optical element, the optical element being disposed in an optical path of the laser light emitted from the light source unit; the output mirror for reflecting a part of emission light emitted from the optical element toward the optical element; and angle-of-incidence changing means for changing an angle at which the light emitted from the light source unit is incident on the optical element.

A laser device that allows its user to change the wavelength of oscillation is obtained. The laser device includes a light source unit provided with a laser element for emitting laser light by forming a laser resonator with an output mirror, the laser element having a rear end surface on which a reflective film is formed; an optical element for determining a wavelength of oscillation emitted from the laser element, on the basis of an angle of the laser light incident on the optical element, the optical element being disposed in an optical path of the laser light emitted from the light source unit; the output mirror for reflecting a part of emission light emitted from the optical element toward the optical element; and angle-of-incidence changing means for changing an angle at which the light emitted from the light source unit is incident on the optical element.

A laser light source includes: a resonance unit with a light emitter; and an optical negative feedback unit. The resonance unit includes: a first waveguide; a first reflector to input the reflected light to the first waveguide; a second waveguide; a second reflector connected to the second waveguide; and a ring resonator between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. The light from the first reflector is blocked from the ring resonator and partially transmitted to a first end of the first waveguide opposite to a second end connected to the light emitter and the first reflector. The optical negative feedback unit includes: a third waveguide to which the light transmitted to the first end of the first waveguide is inputted; and a third reflector connected to the third waveguide. The light from the third reflector is inputted to the first waveguide via the third waveguide.

An apparatus can be provided which can include a laser arrangement which can be configured to provide a laser radiation, and can include an optical cavity. The optical cavity can include a dispersive optical first arrangement which can be configured to receive and disperse at least one first electro-magnetic radiation so as to provide at least one second electro-magnetic radiation. Such cavity can also include an active optical modulator second arrangement which can be configured to receive and modulate the at least one second radiation so as to provide at least one third electro-magnetic radiation. The optical cavity can further include a dispersive optical third arrangement which can be configured to receive and disperse at least one third electro-magnetic radiation so as to provide at least one fourth electro-magnetic radiation. For example, actions by the first, second and third arrangements can cause a spectral filtering of the fourth electro-magnetic radiation(s) relative to the first electro-magnetic radiation(s). The laser radiation can be associated with the fourth radiation(s), and a wavelength of the laser radiation can be controlled by the spectral filtering caused by the actions by the first, second and third arrangements.

A compact laser system with a folded annular resonator cavity defined by spherical mirrors (17, 18), enabling the generation of a multipass beam path between the mirrors, each beam pass inclined at a small angle to the axis between the mirrors to form a zig-zag path (28, 29) therebetween. A long optical path is achieved within a short physical structure. The optical resonator cavity is confined in the gap between two cylindrical coaxial electrodes (13, 14) receiving RF power to excite the lasing gas. Apertures (23) are provided in the main cavity mirrors (17, 18), with a high reflectivity end mirror (24) behind one aperture at one end and a partially reflective output coupler (25) at the other end. A channeled ceramic cylindrical element (15, 20) within the annular shaped gap between the two cylindrical electrodes confines the lasing gas to the channels (16).

A radio-frequency, RF, slab laser 10 with a Z-fold resonator cavity defined by an output mirror 32, a first fold mirror 34, a second fold mirror 36 and a rear mirror 30. The second fold mirror 36 is rotated by an adjustment angle away from the angle it would have if the mirrors were all plane mirrors and directed the round trip beam path by direct reflection. Moreover, the rear mirror 30 is rotated by an adjustment angle that is approximately twice the adjustment angle of the second fold mirror 36. These rotations of the rear mirror 30 and second fold mirror 36 suppresses parasitic mode paths that would otherwise exist.

Apparatus and methods for producing ultrashort optical pulses are described. A high-power, solid-state, passively mode-locked laser can be manufactured in a compact module that can be incorporated into a portable instrument. The mode-locked laser can produce sub-50-ps optical pulses at a repetition rates between 200 MHz and 50 MHz, rates suitable for massively parallel data-acquisition. The optical pulses can be used to generate a reference clock signal for synchronizing data-acquisition and signal-processing electronics of the portable instrument.

An optical power transmission apparatus includes: a light emitting unit including a first optical gain generating means and a first light reflecting means; an optical fiber; a second light reflecting means; and a light receiving means. Further, the second light reflecting means is arranged nearer to the light receiving means than the optical fiber is, a first laser resonator is formed, between the first light reflecting means and the second light reflecting means, by optical connection between the first optical gain generating means and the optical fiber, and first laser light generated by the first laser resonator is configured to be incident on the light receiving means.

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.