Trw Limited

David W Mordaunt

George M Harpole

James M Zamel

Randall J St Pierre

There is provided an optically pumped laser apparatus 10 which includes a heat conductive assembly 14 which is affixed to a solidstate yag laser crystal medium for generating a laser beam 49 within the laser crystal medium 12. The heat conductive assembly 14 comprises a heat diffusing element 32 which serves to diffuse the heat that is generated through the cooling surfaces 24 and 26. It includes a heat discharging structure 33 for removing the heat from the system. The efficiency of the laser system is improved by the geometry of pumping the crystal laser medium along the paths shown by the arrow 40 and to directing heat removed by the heat conductive assembly along the arrows 42, which paths are normal to one another and which provide an effective geometry that minimizes temperature variations within the laser crystal 12 to provide a low value for the OPD of the system. The heat conductive assembly 14 may include a liquid type heat exchanger 43, or heat pipes 33 to facilitate removal of the heat from the diffuser 32.

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Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

David W Mordaunt