An optical configuration including axiconical elements that serve as parts of a resonator or an optical chain of an amplifier for an active laser volume with a large transverse dimension. The system may include a single-fold or multiple-folds axiconical elements. One of the system's advantages is providing the means to produce, even with a stable resonator, a high-quality and well-controlled beam, utilizing efficiently a wide active laser medium.
1 . An optical system that comprises:
an axicon reflector having a center aperture;
a waxicon reflector that has an even number of stages;
an amplifying unit;
an excitation unit that is configured to excite the amplifying unit; and
an output mirror; wherein only an upper half of the output mirror is partially transmissive and only a lower half of the output mirror is fully reflective;
wherein an optical axis of the waxicon reflector differs from an optical axis of the axicon reflector;
wherein the optical axis of the waxicon reflector and the optical axis of the axicon reflector belong to a continuous folded optical path;
wherein different stages of the waxicon reflector are configured to reflect a laser beam, during different amplifying iterations, towards different regions of the amplifying unit;
wherein some of the different regions of the amplifying unit are configured to amplify the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations, and direct the laser beam towards different regions of the axicon reflector;
wherein one region of the amplifying unit is configured to amplify the laser beam and direct the laser beam from the waxicon reflector through the center aperture;
wherein different regions of the axicon reflector are configured to reflect the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations, towards the different regions of the amplifying unit;
wherein the different regions of the amplifying unit are configured to amplify the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations, and direct the laser beam towards different regions of the waxicon reflector.
2 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein the output mirror belongs to a stable resonator.
3 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein the output mirror belongs to an unstable resonator.
4 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein a first stage of the waxicon reflector is configured to reflect a laser beam towards a first region of the first amplifying disc; wherein the first region of the amplifying unit is configured to amplify the laser beam and direct the laser beam towards a first region of the axicon reflector; wherein the first region of the axicon reflector is configured to receive the laser beam and reflect the laser beam towards a second region of the first amplifying disc; wherein the second region of the amplifying unit is configured to amplify the laser beam and to direct the laser beam towards a second stage of the waxicon reflector.
5 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein the waxicon reflector and the axicon reflector are positioned on opposite sides of an optical axis of the amplifying unit.
6 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein the optical axis of the waxicon reflector and the optical axis of the axicon reflector are parallel to each other.
7 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein the optical axis of the waxicon reflector and the optical axis of the axicon reflector are oriented at each other.
8 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein a number of stages of the waxicon reflector minus one equals a number of stages of the axicon reflector.
9 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein all stages of the waxicon and the axicon are configured to reflect the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations.
10 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein the amplifying unit consists essentially of an amplifying and reflecting disc.
11 . The optical system according to claim 10 wherein the different stages of the waxicon reflector are configured to reflect the laser beam towards different regions of the amplifying and reflecting disc; wherein some of the different regions of the amplifying and reflecting disc are configured to amplify the laser beam and direct the laser beam towards different regions of the axicon reflector; wherein one central region of the amplifying and reflecting disc is configured to amplify the laser beam and direct the laser beam from the waxicon reflector through the center aperture; wherein different regions of the axicon reflector are configured to reflect the laser beam towards the different regions of the amplifying and reflecting disc; and
wherein the different regions of the amplifying and reflecting disc are configured to amplify the laser beam and direct the laser beam towards different regions of the waxicon reflector.
12 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein the amplifying unit comprises a set of amplifying and reflecting discs that are configured to amplify the laser beam.
13 . The optical system according to claim 12 wherein each amplifying and reflecting disc of the set comprises multiple regions; wherein the amplifying unit is configured to amplify the laser beam by utilizing, during the different amplifying iterations, at least a majority of the multiple regions of each of the amplifying and reflecting discs.
14 . The optical system according to claim 12 wherein the amplifying unit is configured to amplify the laser beam by using all amplifying and reflecting discs of the set during each one of the different amplifying iterations.
15 . The optical system according to claim 12 wherein the set comprises a first amplifying and reflecting disc and a second amplifying and reflecting disc; wherein the amplifying unit further comprises a first mirror, and a second mirror; wherein the different stages of the waxicon reflector are configured to reflect the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations, towards different regions of the first amplifying and reflecting disc; wherein the different regions of the first amplifying and reflecting disc are configured to reflect the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations, towards different regions of the first mirror; wherein the different regions of the first mirror are configured to reflect the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations, towards different regions of the second amplifying and reflecting disc; and wherein the different regions of the second amplifying and reflecting disc are configured to reflect the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations, towards different regions of the axicon reflector.
16 . The optical system according to claim 1 further comprises a seeding beam supply unit.
17 . The optical system according to claim 16 wherein the seeding beam supply unit is configured to provide a seeding beam through a central aperture of the waxicon reflector.
18 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein the excitation unit comprises laser diodes that are configured to excite the amplifying and reflecting disc.
19 . The optical system according to claim 1 wherein amplifying unit comprises mirrors and amplifying and reflecting discs; wherein the mirrors are parallel to the amplifying and reflecting discs and have optical axes that are oriented to the optical axis of the waxicon reflector and are oriented to the optical axis of the axicon reflector; wherein the mirrors are positioned at one side of the optical system and the amplifying and reflecting discs are positioned at an opposite side of the optical system.
20 . The optical system according to claim 1 comprising an unstable resonator, wherein the unstable resonator comprises a concave mirror, a convex mirror and a scrapper mirror, wherein an optical axis of each one of the concave mirror and the convex mirror is parallel to the optical axis of the waxicon reflector.
21 . The optical system according to claim 1 comprising a folding reflecting mirror, that is configured to direct a laser beam, through a lower part of the central aperture of the axicon, towards the lower half of a central cone of the waxicon reflector, to be reflected multiple times and be reflected by an upper part of the central cone of the waxicon reflector through an upper part of the central aperture of the axicon.
22 . The optical system according to claim 1 further comprising (a) a seeding beam supply unit is configured to provide a seeding beam through a central aperture of the waxicon reflector.
23 . The optical system according to claim 1 comprising an unstable resonator, wherein the unstable resonator comprises a concave mirror and a convex mirror that is a gradial-reflectivity mirror; wherein an optical axis of each one of the concave mirror and the convex mirror is parallel to the optical axis of the waxicon reflector.
24 . A method, comprising:
exciting, by an excitation unit, an amplifying unit of an optical system;
reflecting, by different stages of a waxicon reflector of the optical system, a laser beam, during different amplifying iterations, towards different regions of an amplifying unit of the optical system;
amplifying, by some of the different regions of the amplifying unit, the laser beam, during the different amplifying iterations;
directing the laser beam towards different regions of an axicon reflector of the optical system;
amplifying, by one region of the amplifying unit, the laser beam and directing the laser beam from the waxicon reflector through a center aperture of the axicon reflector;
wherein an optical axis of the waxicon reflector differs from an optical axis of the axicon reflector;
wherein the optical axis of the waxicon reflector and the optical axis of the axicon reflector belong to a continuous folded optical path; and
wherein the optical system further comprises an output mirror, wherein only an upper half of the output mirror is partially transmissive and only lower half of the output mirror is fully reflective.