Laser diode bar integrator/reimager

a technology of integrators and diodes, applied in the field of laser diodes, can solve the problems of limited usefulness of low power densities of these devices, and achieve the effects of improving balancing of optical invariants, reducing power density, and improving irradian

US20050264893A1Inactive Publication Date: 2005-12-01BROWN DANIEL M
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2005-12-01
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

A beam integrator system is disclosed, which integrates multiple beams into fewer beams of increased intensity by using a combination of optical elements and lenses.
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Description

CORRESPONDING APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a utility application, which is a conversion of provisional 60 / 427,571, filed 20 Nov. 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a method, apparatus and system for combining and integrating the multiple laser beams of a laser diode bar into fewer beam(s). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Since the advent of low-cost laser diodes, their inherently low power densities have limited the usefulness of these devices. Various combinations of lenses and other optical devices have been used to combine multiple laser diode beams into fewer beams (e.g., a single beam) to increase power density. More commonly, multiple laser diodes or laser diode bar arrays simply serve as optical pumps for solid state lasers, rather than using their light directly in the laser machining or other high power laser process.

[0004] Using the laser diode light directly in...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0021] Exemplary embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the average source radiance and decrease the source size of a laser diode bar, comprised of an array of emitters, by optically reimaging and combining the emitters in such a way as to remove or reduce the non-emitting space between adjacent emitters and by optionally applying nonsymmetric (anamorphic) magnification to the superimposed image.

[0022] An exemplary embodiment of the invention, the multiple emitters of a laser diode bar configuration are reimaged and superimposed into a single emitter image with much smaller length so that the irradiance is increased and the image dimensions are more nearly equal in the orthogonal directions. If this image were reimaged to infinity, good collimation could be achieved in both the slow and fast axis directions of the emitter. A device produced in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention optically removes the non-emitting space between the emitters so that t...