METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING LARGE OUTPUT LASER BEAM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To support a laser rod while increasing the cooling efficiency and without causing damage to the laser rod. SOLUTION: Rings 60 are mounted in the grooves 1006 on both sides of each laser rod supporting holder 10. The laser rod supporting holder 10 is cooled by a cooling pipe 12. The exciting laser beam emitted from each semiconductor laser array 20 irradiates the peripheral surface of the laser rod 4 passing through between respective laser rod supporting holders 10 to bring the laser rod 4 into the excited state. When the laser rod supporting holder 10 is cooled, the rings 60 are contracted by an amount larger than the laser rod supporting holder 10. The close contact abutment surface 1002 of the laser rod supporting holder 10 is surely brought into close contact with the peripheral surface of the laser rod 4 by this contraction. Thus, the laser rod 4 is cooled via the close contact abutment surface 1002. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT