an optically pumped semiconductor ring laser having a plurality of reflective elements optically aligned with one another to form a ring - shaped resonant cavity . a semiconductor lasing medium is mounted within the ring - shaped resonant cavity by a transparent , heat conductive mount located within a vacuum / cooling chamber of the type which allows the passage of a laser beam therethrough . a pump beam initiates a lasing action within the ring - shaped resonant cavity to produce said laser beam and said laser beam exits the resonant cavity as a pair of outputs . an alternate embodiment of the above described semiconductor ring laser provides a semblance of unidirectional lasing operation .