Patent ID: 6667999
Filing Date: 2003-12-23
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A laser gain cell comprising:a laser gain element with first and second spaced surfaces and a longitudinal axis normal thereto, and a peripheral surface extending between said first and second spaced surfaces and a transverse axis normal to said peripheral surface and said longitudinal axis, a longitudinal dimension defining the thickness of the laser gain element along the longitudinal axis and a transverse dimension defining the height of the laser gain element along the transverse axis of the laser gain element, wherein the height is greater than the thickness; a pump source optically coupled to the laser gain element, the pump source providing pump energy at a pump wavelength, wherein the laser gain element is operative to emit laser energy at a laser wavelength in response to said pump energy; an inline optically transparent heat transfer medium (inline OTH) having first and second opposing face surfaces, wherein said first face surface of said inline OTH optically and thermally coupled to the first surface of the laser element, wherein said inline OTH is substantially optically transparent at the pump wavelength and the laser wavelength, the OTH further including a peripheral surface extending between the opposing first and second surfaces; a heat transfer system including a peripheral OTH thermally and optically coupled to the peripheral surface of the inline OTH, wherein the peripheral OTH is substantially optically transparent at the pump wavelength and the laser wavelength, and a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the peripheral OTH; wherein heat generated within the laser gain element flows from the first face of the laser gain element into the inline OTH and through the inline OTH into the peripheral OTH for dissipation by the heat exchanger.