Patent ID: 7620092
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. Laser apparatus, comprising: a laser resonator terminated by first and second mirrors, said second mirror being an outcoupling mirror of the resonator and defining an outcoupling plane; an optically-pumped, resonator gain-medium located in said laser resonator, said resonator gain-medium having a thermal lens effect the magnitude of which is dependent on the power of said optical pumping, and said laser resonator being arranged to deliver a beam of laser radiation from said second mirror when said resonator gain-medium is optically pumped; an optical amplifier including an optically-pumped, amplifier gain-medium; an optical relay having a relay magnification, said optical relay being located between said laser resonator and said optical amplifier and arranged to deliver said beam of laser radiation from said second mirror of said resonator to said amplifier gain-medium, said relay magnification and the distance between said optical relay and said second mirror of said laser resonator being selected such that said outcoupling plane is imaged by said optical relay in an axial position between said optical relay and said amplifier gain-medium.