HIGH POWER DIODE PUMPED LASER

摘要

A single cavity laser device comprises a diode pumped laser medium having a relatively high gain but a relatively low power. With this medium, a control laser beam is generated. Also positioned in the cavity is a second laser medium having a relatively large gain volume which is pumped by an array of laser diodes at a relatively low gain to created a reservoir of excited state ions. Positioned between these two diode pumped laser mediums is a beam expander which focuses the control laser beam onto the second laser medium to substantially fill the gain volume of the second laser medium. Stimulation of the excited ions in the gain volume of the second laser medium by photons in the control beam efficiently generates a laser beam of relatively high power.