| CPC H01S 3/08059 (2013.01) [H01S 3/0305 (2013.01); H01S 3/0315 (2013.01); H01S 3/0385 (2013.01); H01S 3/0388 (2013.01); H01S 3/041 (2013.01); H01S 3/08095 (2013.01); H01S 3/2232 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |

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1. A system comprising:
an annularly-shaped mirror whose inner surface has a high reflectivity at the wavelength at which said laser system is intended to lase, said annularly-shaped mirror having at least one opening in its surface;
a pair of planar metallic electrodes disposed proximate opposite edges of said annularly-shaped mirror, normal to the axis of said annularly-shaped mirror, said electrodes configured to have an RF field applied between them;
a pair of end mirrors disposed at said at least one opening, one of said end mirrors being a high reflectivity mirror, and the other of said end mirrors being a partial reflector; and
a ceramic material in the form of a disc, disposed in the internal volume of said annularly-shaped mirror, said ceramic material having a series of channels formed therein such that they generate a zig-zag pathway in the ceramic material, each leg of said zig-zag path being aligned at an angle such that said leg does not pass through the axis of said annularly-shaped mirror, and meets said annularly-shaped mirror at a different pair of points around the circumference of said annularly-shaped mirror,
wherein; said channels are adapted to contain a gain medium, and
wherein (i) said zig-zag path, (ii) said annularly-shaped mirror and (iii) said pair of end mirrors, together constitute a resonant cavity.
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