Patent attributes
A high power solid-state non-regenerative optical amplification system (100) for amplifying a pulsed optical beam, includes a first optical amplification crystal (C1) and a second optical amplification crystal (C2) for amplifying the optical beam; optical pumping elements for longitudinal pumping amplification crystals (C1, C2); reflective optical elements (M′1, M′2, . . . , M′17) suitable for reflecting the optical beam so that the optical beam makes a total number of N sequential passes through the amplification crystals (C1, C2), wherein N is an integer and N>4. The reflective optical elements (M′1, M′2, . . . , M′17) are placed in a configuration suitable for alternatively interleaving the sequential optical beam passes through the 1st crystal (C1) and through the 2nd crystal (C2). A solid-state laser including the amplification system, and a method for amplifying a pulsed optical beam in a two-crystal multi-pass non-regenerative amplification system are also disclosed.