Patent ID: 8218584

Claim:
A laser system, said laser system comprising: an optical wave guide, which comprises a core and a first cladding, whereby the core is doped as an active laser media to excite laser light at least within its core, and forms a laser resonator with its ends that reflect the laser light, and a first pumping fiber to couple pumped light into the optical wave guide, wherein the optical wave guide comprises a first length segment and a second length segment connected to the first length segment, with a cross section of the second length segment increasing with a taper with respect to the first length segment, wherein the first pumping fiber extends from the tapered second length segment to the first length segment, wherein cross sections of the first pumping fiber, the first cladding and the core increase with a taper commensurate with the tapered cross section of the second length segment, wherein the core and first cladding of the optical wave guide run continuously through the first length segment and the second length segment, and wherein an end of the first pumping fiber is embedded in the first cladding of the second length segment and runs along the first cladding, and emerges from the forward face out of the end of the second length segment.