Two-dimensional multi-beam stabilizer and combining systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10447003-B2
Application number	US-201715802645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2017
Priority date	Feb 14, 2012
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for stabilizing and combining multiple emitted beams into a single system using both WBC and WDM techniques.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of stabilizing and combining an array of emitters each emitting a beam, the method comprising:
forming a stabilizer cavity wherein each emitter forms a resonator with an external reflective surface to thereby stabilize the beam emitted by each emitter to a unique wavelength, wherein each beam emitted by the array of emitters is introduced to a dispersive element disposed within the resonator, wherein the dispersive element comprises a grating, a chirped grating, a surface grating, a volume grating, a transmission grating, or a prism;
transmitting the beams of the stabilizer from the dispersive element into a wavelength combiner; and
after the beams are transmitted into the wavelength combiner, combining the beams, within the wavelength combiner, along one dimension to form a multi-wavelength beam output.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer are transmitted into the wavelength combiner through back facets of the emitters.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer transmitted into the wavelength combiner do not pass through the emitters before entering the wavelength combiner.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wavelength combiner comprises at least one combining optical element.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-wavelength beam output is transmitted away from the array of emitters.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer transmitted into the wavelength combiner comprise the zero-order dispersion of the dispersive element.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dispersive element disperses the beams along only a single optical axis.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dispersive element is the external reflective surface.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external reflective surface receives a portion of the beams from the dispersive element to form the resonator.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising parallelizing the beams within the wavelength combiner before the beams are combined.

11. A method of stabilizing and combining an array of emitters each emitting a beam, the method comprising:
forming a stabilizer cavity wherein each emitter forms a resonator with an external reflective surface to thereby stabilize the beam emitted by each emitter to a wavelength different from wavelengths emitted by the other emitters, wherein each beam emitted by the array of emitters is introduced to a dispersive element disposed within the resonator;
transmitting the beams of the stabilizer from the dispersive element into a wavelength combiner; and
after transmitting the beams into the wavelength combiner, combining the beams, within the wavelength combiner, along one dimension to form a multi-wavelength beam output that is transmitted away from the array of emitters.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer are transmitted into the wavelength combiner through back facets of the emitters.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer transmitted into the wavelength combiner do not pass through the emitters before entering the wavelength combiner.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wavelength combiner comprises at least one combining optical element.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the multi-wavelength beam output is transmitted away from the array of emitters.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer transmitted into the wavelength combiner comprise the zero-order dispersion of the dispersive element.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dispersive element disperses the beams along only a single optical axis.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dispersive element is the external reflective surface.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the external reflective surface receives a portion of the beams from the dispersive element to form the resonator.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising parallelizing the beams within the wavelength combiner before the beams are combined.

Assignees

• Teradiode Inc

Inventors

• Tayebati Parviz
• Chann Bien

Classifications

• H01S5/143

  Littman-Metcalf configuration, e.g. laser - grating - mirror · CPC title

• H01S5/141

  using a wavelength selective device, e.g. a grating or etalon (H01S5/146 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01S3/0826 Primary

  using a diffraction grating · CPC title

• H01S3/139

  by controlling the mutual position or the reflecting properties of the reflectors of the cavity {, e.g. by controlling the cavity length} · CPC title

• H01S5/4068

  with lateral coupling by axially offset or by merging waveguides, e.g. Y-couplers · CPC title