Wavelength beam combining laser systems utilizing lens roll for chief ray focusing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10627639-B2
Application number	US-201916275539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2019
Priority date	Feb 22, 2012
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

In various embodiments, a wavelength beam combining laser system includes a fast-axis collimation lens that is rotated with respect to a plurality of emitters in order to converge the emitted beams onto a dispersive element and/or reduce the size of the multi-wavelength output beam of the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser system comprising:
a plurality of beam emitters each emitting an individual beam, each beam having a fast-diverging axis and a slow-diverging axis, the plurality of beam emitters being arranged in an array having a lateral axis;
disposed optically downstream of the plurality of beam emitters, a fast-axis collimation (FAC) lens (A) for (i) receiving the emitted beams and (ii) collimating the beams along their fast-diverging axes, and (B) having a lateral axis oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the lateral axis of the plurality of beam emitters;
disposed optically downstream of the FAC lens, a beam rotator for (i) rotating the beams and (ii) directing the rotated beams toward a dispersive element;
a dispersive element for receiving and dispersing the rotated beams, wherein the orientation of the FAC lens with respect to the plurality of beam emitters causes the rotated beams to converge toward the dispersive element; and
a partially reflective output coupler for (i) receiving the dispersed beams, (ii) reflecting a first portion thereof back to the dispersive element and thence to the plurality of beam emitters to stabilize emission wavelengths thereof, (iii) and transmitting a second portion thereof as a multi-wavelength output beam.

2. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein, wherein the lateral axis of the plurality of beam emitters is substantially parallel to the slow-diverging axes of the beam emitters.

3. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the FAC lens is configured to not converge the beams toward each other when the FAC lens is oriented at an angle of zero degrees with respect to the lateral axis of the plurality of beam emitters.

4. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the rotated beams at least partially overlap at the dispersive element.

5. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the FAC lens with respect to the plurality of beam emitters is insufficient to overlap the rotated beams at the dispersive element.

6. The laser system of claim 5 , further comprising, disposed optically downstream of the beam rotator and optically upstream of the dispersive element, focusing optics for at least partially overlapping the rotated beams at the dispersive element.

7. The laser system of claim 6 , wherein an optical distance between the focusing optics and the beam rotator is less than a focal length of the focusing optics.

8. The laser system of claim 6 , wherein an optical distance between the focusing optics and the dispersive element is less than a focal length of the focusing optics.

9. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the beam rotator is configured to rotate the slow-diverging axes and the fast-diverging axes of the beams by approximately 90°.

10. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the FAC lens is discrete and separate from the beam rotator.

11. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the FAC lens and the beam rotator are portions of a unitary optical element.

12. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the beam rotator has a lateral axis oriented at the non-zero angle with respect to the lateral axis of the plurality of beam emitters.

13. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the beam rotator has a lateral axis oriented at a second non-zero angle with respect to the lateral axis of the plurality of beam emitters, the second non-zero angle not being equal to the non-zero angle.

14. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the beam rotator has a lateral axis oriented at a second non-zero angle with respect to the lateral axis of the plurality of beam emitters, the second non-zero angle being equal to the non-zero angle.

15. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the beam rotator has a lateral axis that is approximately parallel to the lateral axis of the plurality of beam emitters.

16. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein the dispersive element comprises a diffraction grating.

17. The laser system of claim 1 , wherein each of the beam emitters comprises a diode emitter disposed within a diode bar.

18. The laser system of claim 1 , further comprising an optical fiber positioned to receive the multi-wavelength output beam.

Assignees

• Deutsch Michael
• Wang Daqing
• Zambuto James
• Chann Bien
• Lochman Bryan
• Teradiode Inc

Inventors

• Deutsch Michael
• Wang Daqing
• Zambuto James
• Chann Bien
• Lochman Bryan

Classifications

• G02B27/1086

  operating by diffraction only · CPC title

• H01S5/4062

  with an external cavity or using internal filters, e.g. Talbot filters · CPC title

• H01S5/4087

  emitting more than one wavelength · CPC title

• H01S5/143

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

• Y10T29/49895

  Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"] · CPC title