Multiple laser cavity apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939631-B2
Application number	US-201514660979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A multiple cavity laser system includes: a controller configured to operate the system as well as a plurality of laser cavities, each of the laser cavities having an output end wherein, when activated by the controller, an output laser beam is emitted from the output end of each of the laser cavities. The output laser beams when activated are directed, either directly or indirectly, to a rotating mirror. The rotating mirror is operatively connected to the controller and a servo motor. The servo motor, under direction of the controller, redirects the output laser beams along a common optical axis and the output laser beams of the plurality of laser cavities are combined along the common optical axis.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A calibration device for a multiple cavity laser system comprising:
a controller configured to operate the system and the calibration device;
a plurality of X number of laser cavities, each of the X number of laser cavities having an output end wherein, when activated by the controller, an output laser beam is emitted sequentially from the output end of each of the X number of laser cavities;
optics for combining and forwarding the sequential output laser beams along one or more optical paths to a rotating mirror;
the rotating mirror having a center and being operatively connected to the controller and to a servo motor and being tilted with respect the one or more optical paths;
wherein the servo motor includes a position encoder;
and wherein the servo motor is directed by the controller to position the rotating mirror to receive the output laser beams of the X number of cavities at encoded positions at which the rotating mirror is expected to be aligned with the respective output laser beams;
the servo motor, under direction of the controller, after moving the rotating mirror to the expected to be aligned positions, then redirecting the sequential output laser beams downstream along a common optical axis;
the rotating mirror being further controllable to be rotated by the servo motor a distance to correct for misalignment of one or more of the output laser beams with the center of the rotating mirror;
wherein the controller is configured to direct the servo motor to move the mirror to the optimal position of the position encoder so that each output laser beam impinging on the rotating mirror is at the closest encoded position to the center of the rotating mirror; and
wherein the controller includes a memory operatively associated with the controller, the memory storing, for each laser cavity, the optimal encoded position of each laser beam closest to the center of the rotating mirror.

2. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 wherein the laser cavities are arranged with the cavities parallel to one another and the output ends arranged at the same end of each of the laser cavities.

3. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 2 wherein the number of laser cavities is four.

4. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 3 wherein the laser cavities are arranged in a 2×2 orientation.

5. A method of operating a multiple cavity laser system that has been calibrated by a calibration device comprising: providing the multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 , further comprising, after the step of the controller storing in the memory the optimal adjusted encoded position of each laser beam that is closest to the center of the rotating mirror, next activating the multiple cavity laser system and thereby activating the plurality of X number of laser cavities, whereby the servo motor controls the retrieval of the adjusted optimum encoded positions for each of the X number of cavities as the rotating mirror moves to cause the center of the rotating mirror to be in line with laser beams from each of the cavities.

6. The multiple laser cavity system of claim 1 further comprising a first set of one or more mirrors positioned to receive the output laser beams and direct the beams to the rotating mirror.

7. The multiple laser cavity system of claim 6 further comprising a second set of one or more mirrors positioned downstream from the rotating mirror to receive the output laser beams from the rotating mirror and direct the beams to the common optical axis.

8. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 , further comprising a safety shutter selectively insertable into the common optical axis under direction of the controller.

9. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 wherein the controller stores the position encoder in line positions for each of the X number of cavities and controls the retrieval of the in line positions as the rotating mirror moves to cause the rotating mirror to move the rotating mirror to the expected position of the rotating mirror to be aligned with each of the X number of cavities when the output beams are activated.

10. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 , wherein the system operates in a range of frequencies from about 40 to about 100 Hz.

11. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 , wherein the system operates in a range of frequencies of about 5 to about 100 Hz.

12. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 , wherein the system operates with laser fiber diameters of 100 μm to 500 μm, 250-400 μm and from 200-300 μm.

13. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 , wherein the system operates with laser fiber diameters of 200-230 μm.

14. The multiple cavity laser system of claim 1 , wherein the system operates at power levels ranging from 20-150 watts.

Assignees

• Lumenis Ltd
• Lumenis Ltd

Inventors

• Waisman Tal
• Khachaturov Arkady
• Elazar Moshe
• Shnaider Alla
• Preiss Assaf
• Zobel Izchak

Classifications

• G02B26/0816 Primary

  by means of one or more reflecting elements · CPC title

• G02B27/0977

  Reflective elements · CPC title

• H01S3/061

  with elliptical or circular cross-section and elongated shape, e.g. rod · CPC title

• H01S3/1024

  for pulse generation · CPC title

• H01S3/005

  Optical devices external to the laser cavity, specially adapted for lasers, e.g. for homogenisation of the beam or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping (shaping laser beam for working metal or other materials B23K26/06; optical elements, systems or apparatus in general G02B) · CPC title