Patent ID: 6914928

Claim:
A diode pumped multiple mode slab laser comprising: a laser diode for providing diode laser pump light in a vertical and horizontal direction to an optical axis, and over a wide range of temperatures, said diode laser pump light having a pump light wavelength, said laser diode being installed in said laser without a temperature control system so that said pump light wavelength varies according to temperature; a first cylindrical lens for collimating said diode laser pump light in said vertical direction on said optical axis; a second cylindrical lens on said optical axis perpendicular to and after said first cylindrical lens for collecting said diode laser pump light from said first cylindrical lens for further focusing into a laser cavity; said laser cavity on said optical axis after said second cylindrical lens, and comprising a laser slab of solid state crystal with a length and polished input and output ends, and further having a rectangular cross-section with rough ground top and bottom surfaces and polished side surfaces, said laser slab accepting as input said diode laser pump light at said polished input end with unabsorbed diode laser pump light being reflected within the laser slab off said polished side surfaces for efficient pump light absorption along all of said laser slab length and multiple mode lasing as said pump light wavelength varies according to temperature, said polished output end outputting absorbed laser energy.