A simple and compact laser resonator is proposed which makes it possible to symmetrically operate a gain medium, preferably a semiconductor, which possesses more than one channel of emission. As a result higher output powers and/or better beam qualities and/or better spectral characteristics can be achieved. The resonator is very compact and ideally comprises only three optical elements: a laseractive gain medium (1), a cylindrical collimation lens (5), and a prism (6) which is adapted to the angle between the two emissions (4) and which carries a beam splitter (7) and a feedback mirror (9) on its faces. Preferably the gain medium (1) possesses a feedback element (2) and an antireflective coating (3) on its faces. If no antireflective coating (11) is desired the same effect can be achieved by arranging the angle of incidence to fulfill the Brewster-condition. In a preferred embodiment the gain medium (1) is a high-power diode laser chip with an internal stripe-array and/or the laser resonator is unstable along the direction parallel to the epitaxial layers. In alternative embodiments the feedback element (9) is wavelength selective like a grating, a dielectric filter, a holographic element or a volume Bragg grating.