Cusp shape reflectors to pump disk or slab lasers

A two-dimensional ray tracing program is used to predict the performance of lighthouses to pump disk or slab lasers. The model is tested by comparing calculations with the results of light intensity and fluorescence measurements. Pumping efficiency and uniformity are investigated as functions of lamp spacing in a configuration employing cusp shape and plane back reflectors. It is found that doubling the number of lamps from an arrangement that provides optimal coupling brings an improvement in pumping of typically 60%.