Patent ID: 7280571

Claim:
A solid-state laser amplifier architecture scalable to high output powers, comprising: a plurality of slabs of solid state material having parallel side faces and configured to function as zig-zag laser amplifiers, the slabs being placed together in a stack, with gaps between adjacent side faces of the slabs; at least one source of pump power, disposed adjacent to a side face of at least one outermost slabs in the stack, to provide laser pump power to all the slabs in the stack; and a common cooling system, comprising means for containing and circulating a coolant through the gaps between adjacent side faces of the slabs, and along the side faces of the outermost slabs in the stack; wherein each of the slabs has an input end face for receiving an input beam and an output end face through which an amplified output beam is transmitted; wherein the common cooling system further comprises: a pair of side windows positioned in a spaced relationship with the outermost slabs in stack, to form coolant passages adjacent to the outermost slabs and formed from a material that is transparent to pump power radiation from the at least one source of pump power; and means or sealing around the edges of the gaps between adjacent slabs and providing a coolant flow path extending through all the gaps.