Wavelength beam combining laser systems utilizing etalons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10804679-B2
Application number	US-201815911288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2018
Priority date	Nov 22, 2014
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

In various embodiments, wavelength beam combining laser systems incorporate etalons to establish external lasing cavities and/or to combine multiple input beams into a single output beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming an output beam, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of first beams at an etalon, the first beams being emitted by a plurality of beam emitters;
spatially combining the plurality of first beams at the etalon to form a combined beam;
emitting the combined beam from the etalon;
stabilizing each of the first beams to an emission wavelength by reflecting a first portion of the combined beam back to the etalon, whereby a portion of the first portion of the combined beam propagates back to each of the beam emitters; and
emitting a second portion of the combined beam as an output beam.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein (i) each of the first beams has a different wavelength, and (ii) the output beam is a multi-wavelength beam.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining the plurality of first beams at the etalon comprises reflecting each of the first beams within the etalon one or more times.

4. A method of forming an output beam, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of first beams at an etalon;
spatially combining the plurality of first beams at the etalon to form an output beam, each of the first beams being reflected within the etalon one or more times thereduring;
receiving a second beam at the etalon and combining the second beam into the output beam without reflecting the second beam within the etalon; and
emitting the output beam from the etalon.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a wavelength of the second beam is different from a wavelength of each of the first beams.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first beams is received at a different location on the etalon.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising (i) focusing, (ii) collimating, or (iii) focusing and collimating the first beams before they are received at the etalon.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling at least a portion of the output beam into an optical fiber.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising delivering the at least a portion of the output beam to a workpiece.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising cutting or welding the workpiece with the at least a portion of the output beam.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering at least a portion of the output beam to a workpiece.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising cutting or welding the workpiece with the at least a portion of the output beam.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combined beam is transmitted from the etalon to a partially reflective output coupler.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the output coupler (i) reflects the first portion of the combined beam and (ii) transmits the second portion of the combined beam.

15. A laser system comprising:
an array of beam emitters each emitting a beam;
an etalon for (i) receiving each of the beams at a different location on the etalon, (ii) reflecting a first portion of each beam back to the array of beam emitters, thereby stabilizing each beam at a unique wavelength, and (iii) transmitting a second portion of each beam, the etalon having an optical axis, a front surface, and a back surface optically downstream of the front surface;
disposed optically downstream of the beam emitters and optically upstream of the etalon, focusing optics for focusing the beams toward the etalon; and
disposed optically downstream of the etalon, a dispersive element for receiving and dispersing the beams, thereby forming a multi-wavelength output beam.

16. The laser system of claim 15 , wherein the etalon comprises at least one of glass, sapphire, or fused silica.

17. The laser system of claim 15 , wherein the optical axis of the etalon is tilted at a non-zero angle with respect to a propagation direction along which the beams are propagating when the beams are received at the etalon.

18. The laser system of claim 15 , wherein the front surface of the etalon is substantially planar.

19. The laser system of claim 15 , wherein the back surface of the etalon is convexly curved.

20. The laser system of claim 19 , wherein the front surface of the etalon is substantially planar.

21. The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving a second beam at the etalon and combining the second beam into the combined beam without reflecting the second beam within the etalon.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein a wavelength of the second beam is different from a wavelength of each of the first beams.

Assignees

• Chann Bien
• Burgess James
• Zhou Wang
• Lochman Bryan
• Villarreal Saucedo Francisco
• Teradiode Inc

Inventors

• Chann Bien
• Burgess James
• Zhou Wang
• Lochman Bryan
• Villarreal-Saucedo Francisco

Classifications

• H01S5/141

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

• H01S5/4062

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

• H01S5/405

  Two-dimensional arrays · CPC title

• H01S5/4012 Primary

  Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms · CPC title

• H01S5/4087

  emitting more than one wavelength · CPC title