Patent ID: 8494012

Claim:
A method, comprising: (a) outputting a first laser beam having: a beam quality factor (M 2 ) between 1 and 5, and a spectral width of less than 0.15 nm (FWHM), wherein the outputting is performed by at least one laser generating component that comprises at least one alexandrite laser oscillator; (b) converting the first laser beam through at least one first Raman cell to produce a second laser beam, wherein the at least one first Raman cell is filled with a first gas and is operationally positioned to receive the first laser beam outputted by the at least one laser generating component; and (c) converting the second laser beam through at least one second Raman cell to produce a final laser beam, wherein the at least one second Raman cell is filled with a second gas and is operationally positioned after the at least one first Raman cell, wherein the first gas and the second gas are different gasses, and wherein the final laser beam having: a second energy of at least 1 mJ, and at least one wavelength longer than 2.5 micron.