MULTI-ELEMENT MONOLITHIC SOLID STATE LASER

摘要

A monolithic solid state laser structure is used to construct erbium lasers that are insensitive to external pressure changes and vibrations, and have improved cooling of the gain medium (20) and reduced thermal lensing effect. In the monolithic laser structure, the gain medium (20) is separated from an optically transmissive plate (24) on one side and a wave plate (21) on the other side by spacers to form narrow air gaps (31 and 33) which provide effective cooling of the gain medium (20) and reduced the thermal lensing effect. Such an arrangement is further combined with a pressure-insensitive brewster polarizer such as a solid brewster polarizer (42 and 46), or a pressure-sealed brewster plate (249), to form a pressure-insensitive laser cavity. The wave plate (2') cooperates with the brewster polarizer (42 and 46) to select the wavelength of the solid state laser.