Patent ID: 7408971

Claim:
A laser apparatus for producing a laser light beam, comprising: a first gain medium comprising opposing first and second ends; a first pump light source configured and arranged to provide a pump light beam to the first end of the first gain medium, wherein, at the first end of the first gain medium, the pump light beam has an elliptical, non-circular cross-section; a first reflector disposed between the first end of the first gain medium and the first pump light source and spaced apart from a gain portion of the first gain medium, wherein the first reflector is substantially reflective to the laser light beam and substantially transmissive to the pump light beam; a second reflector; and an output coupler; wherein the first and second reflectors and the output coupler define a folded beam path having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the beam path extending from the first reflector to the second reflector through the first gain medium and the second portion of the beam path extending from the first reflector to the output coupler through the first gain medium, the first and second beam paths defining, within the first gain medium, a non-zero folding angle between the first and second beam paths, wherein the pump light beam is directed in a direction between the first and second beam paths and not along either the first or second beam path, and wherein entrance points of the beam path from the first reflector into the first gain medium overlap less than 25%.