An apparatus may include a diode-pumped solid-state laser oscillator configured to output a pulsed laser beam, a modulator configured to modify an energy and a temporal profile of the pulsed laser beam, and an amplifier configured to amplify an energy of the pulse laser beam. A modified and amplified beam to laser peen a target part may have an energy of about 5J to about 10 J, an average power (defined as energy (J) x frequency (Hz)) of from about 25 W to about 200 W, with a flattop beam uniformity of less than about 0.2. The diode-pumped solid-state oscillator may be configured to output a beam having both a single longitudinal mode and a single transverse mode, and to produce and output beams at a frequency of about 20 Hz.

A handheld LIBS device and method includes a laser assembly producing two pulsed single spatial mode output beams and a focusing optic which combines the two pulsed single spatial mode output beams at a focal point at a sample. The laser assembly includes a laser assembly housing with an output coupler window for the two pulsed single spatial mode output beams, a gain medium in the laser assembly housing between the output coupler window and an adjustable prism mount in the laser assembly housing holding a prism configured to establish two light paths through the gain medium, a source in the laser assembly housing providing pump energy to the gain medium, and a Q-switch positioned between the prism and the gain medium.

A high-efficiency laser pumping device is provided, wherein a dielectric with or without a tapered aperture is used to accept, guide, and concentrate a pump light toward a laser gain material. Preferably, the dielectric is also a heat insulator between the pump-light source and the laser gain material. The pump-light source includes an array of light-emitting diodes, or an array of laser diodes, or an array of mixed light-emitting-diodes and laser diodes. Preferably, the input and output faces of the dielectric are optically coated with dielectric layers to maximize the pump brightness toward the laser gain material. A high-efficiency laser-pumping system with active cooling apparatus is further provided, wherein a plural number of the optical-guiding and thermal-insulation dielectrics are arranged to receive the pump lights from a plural number of pump-light sources, configured to concentrate all the pump light toward a laser gain material.

An actively cooled end-pumped solid-state laser gain device includes a bulk solid-state gain medium. An input-end of the gain medium receives a pump laser beam incident thereon and propagating in the direction toward an opposite output-end. The metal foil is disposed over a face of the gain medium extending between the input- and output-ends. A housing cooperates with the metal foil to form a coolant channel on the face the gain medium. The coolant channel has an inlet and an outlet configured to conduct a flow of coolant along the metal foil from the input-end towards the output-end. The metal foil is secured between the gain medium and portions of the housing running adjacent to the coolant channel. The metal foil provides a reliable thermal contact and imparts little or no stress on the bulk gain medium.

Core-cladding planar waveguide (PWG) structures and methods of making and using same. The core-cladding PWG structures can be synthesized by hydride vapor phase epitaxy and processed by mechanical and chemical-mechanical polishing. An Er doping concentration of [Er] between 1×10.sup.18 atoms/cm.sup.3 and 1×10.sup.22 atoms/cm.sup.3 can be in the core layer. Such PWGs have a core region that can achieve optical confinement between 96% and 99% and above.

A medical laser system for outputting laser pulses includes at least one laser cavity configured to generate at least one laser pulse, a rotating mirror configured to receive and reflect the at least one laser pulse, a beam splitter configured to receive and reflect a portion of the at least one laser pulse received from the rotating mirror, an energy-sensing device configured to detect the portion of the at least one laser pulse, an energy measurement assembly configured to generate a feedback signal based on the portion of the at least one laser pulse detected by the energy-sensing device, and a controller configured to generate an electronic control pulse based on the feedback signal received from the energy measurement assembly to generate at least one adjusted laser pulse.

A medical laser system for outputting laser pulses includes at least one laser cavity configured to generate at least one laser pulse, a rotating mirror configured to receive and reflect the at least one laser pulse, a beam splitter configured to receive and reflect a portion of the at least one laser pulse received from the rotating mirror, an energy-sensing device configured to detect the portion of the at least one laser pulse, an energy measurement assembly configured to generate a measurement signal based on the portion of the at least one laser pulse detected by the energy-sensing device, and a controller. The controller may include a calibration module. The calibration module may be configured to generate at least one categorized calibration table, determine calibration parameters, interpolate the calibration parameters, and cause the at least one laser cavity to generate at least one calibrated laser pulse.

A medical laser system for outputting laser pulses includes at least one laser cavity, a rotating mirror, a user interface, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive at least one laser parameter associated with a laser pulse output by the system. The controller is configured to determine an average power level of the laser pulse based on the at least one laser parameter associated with the laser pulse. The controller is configured to determine a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal based on at least one laser parameter. The controller is configured to generate the laser pulse based on the average power level and the PWM control signal, the laser pulse comprising at least one of a first shape, a second shape, or a third shape. Each of the first shape, the second shape, and the third shape of the laser pulse includes different pulse widths.

An apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: (i) a diode-pumped solid-state laser oscillator configured to generate a pulsed laser beam having predefined beam characteristics corresponding to a current setting selection of a controller; and (ii) an amplifier configured to amplify an energy and modify a beam profile of the pulse laser beam. A beam detector is coupled to the generated beam to monitor a combination of: (i) a beam pulse width; (ii) a beam diameter; and (iii) an energy level, and generates an error signal to be sent back as a feedback signal to the controller. The controller configures the current source to output a correction current to tune the DPSSL oscillator, the wave plate, and the first polarizer to rotate a correction polarization angle and adjust the energy amplification or temporal profile to within a defined performance tolerance.

A heat sink assembly may include an alignment body with an opening configured to receive a crystal rod, wherein the opening is configured to maintain a crystalline orientation of the crystal rod relative to a physical orientation of the alignment body. The heat sink assembly may include a first cooling stack, wherein the first cooling stack includes a first cutout to receive the crystal rod and the alignment body. The heat sink assembly may include a second cooling stack, wherein the second cooling stack includes a second cutout to receive the crystal rod and the alignment body, and wherein the first cooling stack and the second cooling stack are configured to mate and at least partially sandwich the crystal rod and the alignment body.