The present invention relates to a laser including a laser amplifier and a
laser resonator. The laser amplifier includes a disk-shaped active medium
having a reflector. The active medium rests on a cooling means for
cooling said active medium and said reflector. The reflector embodies a
mirror of said laser resonator. The laser amplifier includes an optical
means for refocusing a pumping light configured for repeatedly deviating
said pumping light and refocusing said pumping light onto the active
medium for causing a multiple passage of said pumping light through said
active medium. Such a thin-disk laser is not prone to thermal lensing.
According to the invention, the laser resonator is formed as a ring
resonator. Two optical waves can travel around within the ring resonator
in different directions. An optical selection means is provided for
giving preference to propagation of one of the both optical waves
traveling around that can be coupled out as an output laser beam. The
laser according to the invention is highly stable and can be adjusted and
tuned easily. Intra-cavity frequency-multiplication can be achieved
easily.