SOLID-STATE ZIGZAG-PATH LASER

FIELD: laser engineering. ^ SUBSTANCE: proposed solid-state laser has active element in the form of rectangular-section bar, image excitation sources, heat-transfer elements, nontransmitting and semitransmitting mirrors tilted through certain angle to front end of active element affording integer number of laser beam zigzags between front and rear ends of active element. Each end of the latter has two sections of which first one is perpendicular to lateral faces of active element and other end is beveled relative to first section at angle = arc sine b/2a, where b is first-section height; a is active-element length. Respective sections of active-element both ends are disposed symmetrically to active-element center. Perpendicular section of active-element front end is covered with antireflection coating and beveled section of this end bears reflecting coating. Reflecting coating is also applied to opposing ends on its both sections, ratio of areas of active-element beveled sections to those of their perpendicular sections being a multiple of integer number. In addition, active-element thickness d satisfies following condition: d = b/cos gamma, where gamma is angle of mirror inclination to perpendicular section of active-element end in horizontal plane. ^ EFFECT: enhanced radiation power of laser in both continuous and pulsed mode of operation. ^ 1 cl, 7 dwg