Solid state laser system

A laser system comprising an active medium (105) and at least one laser diode (103) that is adapted to pump the active medium, characterized in that the laser diode is arranged such that a radiation plane of laser radiation emitted from the laser diode and corresponding to the greatest emission angle ± is essentially parallel or oblique to a longitudinal axis (L) of the active medium (105). The pump LD array is arranged with the long axis of each LD being parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the active medium (105). A laser system comprising an active medium and a reflector (530) being arranged such that the reflector surrounds the active medium (505) with at distance to the active medium characterized in that the reflector comprises a self-supporting cylinder consisting at least in part of a metal, e.g. copper, and a method for pumping an active medium of a Q-switch laser system with a plurality of laser diodes, the method being characterized in that the active medium is pumped continuously during pumping periods of a predetermined duration, the pumping periods being provided periodically and being separated by non-pumping periods, wherein, during each pumping period, at least two laser pulses are emitted from the active medium, wherein each of the at least two laser pulses is caused by a corresponding Q-switch operation in the pumping period.