Lengthening the path of a pump beam in a monolithic solid state laser apparatus

A solid state laser device 100 with a lengthened pump beam path is provided herein. The laser device includes an active element 110 having a specified geometric shape, for example, double slopes 40 and 50, and specified optical characteristics. The device is configured for lasing; and a light pumping element 120 is optically coupled to the active element 110, wherein the light pumping element is configured to generate a pump light beam directed at a specified angle into the active element. At least one of: the specified angle, the specified geometric shape, and the specified optical characteristics are selected such that the pump light beam is reflected one or more times within the active element resulting in an extension of an absorption path of the pump light beam within the active element. At least one surface of the element (160A/B, Figure 4) may be coated with a diffusive pigment or ceramic coating which reflects the light beam 10. The laser device may be pumped by two or more light pumping elements (121-123, Figure 5) and a control unit (720, Figure 5) may be used to de-activate or re-activate the pumping sources if the pumping sources either go beyond or, within an operational wavelength respectively (see Figures 5 and 7).