Optical pumping apparatus for slab lasers and amplifiers

摘要

An optical amplifier includes a solid state gain-element. The gain-element is pumped by pump-radiation from a diode-laser bar. The diode-laser radiation is delivered from the diode-laser bar to the gain-element entirely via a tapered light-guide which guides the radiation only in a fast-axis direction of the diode laser bar. The tapering of the light-guide reduces fast-axis divergence of the pump-radiation by about a factor of ten. The pump-radiation is delivered to the gain-element as a line of radiation homogenized in the fast-axis direction.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a gain-element; a diode-laser bar for providing pump-radiation for energizing the gain-element, the diode-laser bar having a length, and the pump-radiation being delivered from the diode-laser bar in a propagation-direction, with a transverse slow-axis of the pump-radiation parallel to the length of the diode-laser bar and a fast-axis of the pump-radiation perpendicular to the slow-axis; and wherein the pump-radiation is delivered from the diode-laser bar to the gain-element by transporting the radiation in a tapered light-guide, the light-guide guiding in the fast-axis direction only and being tapered in the fast-axis direction, with a fast-axis height of the light-guide increasing progressively in the propagation direction.