Laser structure comprising a plurality of laser material segments for high power dissipation

Claim 2

The invention according to claim 1 wherein means are included for providing a flow of said fluid.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said thin plates define edge surfaces and said fluid additionally immerses said edge surfaces.

Claim 4

In a laser device for use with a pumping source, a laser apparatus comprising: a plurality of laser plates having substantially parallel faces, means for supporting said laser plates to maintain adjacent plates of said laser plates in spaced parallel relation along the laser propagation path, the spaces between said plates forming fluid passages, a fluid transparent at wavelengths of laser light propagated by said plates and means for directing flow of said fluid through said passages across said parallel faces of said plates, in contact therewith, for causing a thermal flow generally perpendicularly to the planes of said plates and parallel to the direction of laser light propagation to minimize thermal gradients in said apparatus at an angle to said direction.

Claim 5

In a laser device including a pumping source, a laser structure arranged to substantially eliminate index of refraction gradients and density changes in the laser material during operation, comprising a container with a series of thin plates of lasering material supported therein, the plates being closely adjacent each other and aligned along a common optical path with respective opposed faces thereof in substantially opposed relation to next adjacent faces of an adjacent plate in the series, there being fluid in the container immersing and contacting said opposed faces of the series of plates, said fluid being transparent to laser and pumping energy, whereby said fluid is arranged to maintain a substantially constant temperature across the plane of each individual plate and whereby temperature induced radial index gradients in individual plate and whereby temperature induced radial index gradients in individual plates in the series are substantially eliminated.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 6 in which the fluid is selectEd from the group consisting of water, and heavy water.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 6 in which the series of plates are supported substantially perpendicular of the optical path.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 6 in which said plates are arranged at small angles to secure as nearly parallel light output as possible by restricting amplification of energy to the first allowed modes.