Laser amplifier system

US6891874B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Universitaet Stuttgart Institut fuer Strahlwerkzeuge · DE

Inventors

• Steffen Erhard · Traunreut, DE
• Adolf Giesen · Renningen, DE
• Christian Stewen · Marbach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 29, 2002
• Grant date: May 10, 2005
• Expiry date: Jan 3, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/094084
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a laser amplifier system consisting of a solid body, which comprises a laser-active medium, of a pumping radiation source for generating a pumping radiation field, which repeatedly permeates the solid body, and of a focusing system. Said focusing system generates a number of different branches of the pumping radiation field that enter the solid body and converts at least one branch emerging from the solid body into one of the branches which enter the solid body and which are different from the emerging branch. The aim of the invention is to improve a laser amplifier system of the aforementioned type in order to be able to generate the highest possible pumping power density in the solid body while requiring the smallest possible amount of complexity. To this end, the focusing system comprises at least one deviating unit which converts, by deviating the radiation field with regard to a single plane of symmetry, at least two first partial branches formed from at least two different branches of the pumping radiation field emerging from the solid into at least two corresponding second partial branches which locally extend in a manner that is separate from the fi…