Reflex ring laser amplifier system
The invention is a method and apparatus for providing a reflex ring laser system for amplifying an input laser pulse. The invention is particularly useful in laser fusion experiments where efficient production of high-energy and high power laser pulses is required. The invention comprises a large aperture laser amplifier in an unstable ring resonator which includes a combination spatial filter and beam expander having a magnification greater than unity. An input pulse is injected into the resonator, e.g., through an aperture in an input mirror. The injected pulse passes through the amplifier and spatial filter/expander components on each pass around the ring. The unstable resonator is designed to permit only a predetermined number of passes before the amplified pulse exits the resonator. On the first pass through the amplifier, the beam fills only a small central region of the gain medium. On each successive pass, the beam has been expanded to fill the next concentric non-overlapping region of the gain medium.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Application Number:
- ON: DE84010874
- OSTI ID:
- 7129175
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Reflex ring laser amplifier system
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Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING
RING LASERS
SPECIFICATIONS
AMPLIFIERS
EFFICIENCY
LASER RADIATION
MIRRORS
PATENTS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
LASERS
RADIATIONS
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