  We present here a new geometry for laser amplifiers based on bulk gain media.
The overlapped seed and pump beams are repetitively refocused into the gain
medium with a Herriott-type multipass cell. Similar to a waveguide, this
configuration allows for a confined propagation inside the gain medium over
much longer lengths than in ordinary single pass bulk amplifiers. Inside the
gain medium, the foci appear at separate locations. A proof-of-principle
demonstration with Ti:sapphire indicates that this could lead to higher
amplification due to a distribution of the thermal load.
