Multi-seed-source optical path switching system and method and laser device

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-sub-source optical path switching system, an optical path switching method thereof and a laser device. The multi-seed-source optical path switching system, the multi-seed-source optical path switching method and the laser device have the following beneficial effects that the switching precision of the whole multi-seed-source optical path switching system is greatly improved through mechanical translation under the control of the high-precision translation stage; any selected seed source enters the amplification unit in the same polarization state, the high-power amplification requirement is met, and the subsequent amplification effect is not affected. The system anti-vibration performance is improved, and the stability is enhanced; the mechanical structure is simplified, more optical paths are easy to expand, the number of optical devices of the system is reduced, the installation and adjustment time is shortened, and the overall cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of laser technology, specifically relating to a multi-source optical path switching system, its optical path switching method, and a laser device. Background Technology

[0002] In large scientific facilities and high-energy laser amplifiers, it is necessary to deploy multiple seed sources with the same or different parameters to improve the stability of the laser amplification system or to switch parameters such as repetition rate and pulse width to reduce the failure rate of the device or enrich the dynamic range of laser parameters. In scientific research, laser processing, spectral analysis, and precision measurement, it is often necessary to switch laser sources with different parameters for excitation, processing, analysis, and detection of the same target or sample. Traditional optical path switching schemes suffer from problems such as complex structure, inaccurate polarization control, and low switching efficiency.

[0003] Existing technologies include optical path switching devices and debugging methods that employ a rotating mirror structure to achieve optical path switching by driving the mirror to move between a first position and a second position. Although this solution achieves basic optical path switching functionality, it has the following obvious shortcomings: (1) It only supports dual-path switching and cannot meet the complex application requirements of multiple light sources (such as four or more); (2) It relies on the precise angle adjustment of the mirror, making the debugging process complex (requiring multiple angle adjustment structures and dimming fixtures), and angle drift is prone to occur after long-term use; (3) It does not consider polarization state management, making it difficult to guarantee the polarization consistency of the output laser, which affects the subsequent amplification effect.

[0004] Existing technologies also include technical solutions involving automatic optical path switching devices, which use a rotating disk to integrate optical components and switch different optical components by rotation drive. Its disadvantages include: (1) the circumferential positioning accuracy of the rotating disk directly affects the optical path alignment accuracy, and mechanical vibration can easily cause optical path deviation; (2) the optical components (such as lenses or filters) are fixed to the edge of the rotating disk, and the stability is poor when rotating at high speed; (3) the switching path is limited, and it is difficult to achieve an expanded configuration of more than four optical paths.

[0005] Other related existing technologies, such as prism refraction switching devices, although compact in structure, rely on the total internal reflection path of the beam within the prism, resulting in high polarization sensitivity and limited optical path adjustment range.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a multi-source optical path switching system with a simple structure, precise polarization control, and higher switching efficiency, as well as its optical path switching method and laser device. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects in the prior art and provide a multi-sub-source optical path switching system. By combining mechanical translation with polarization management, it can achieve stable switching of multiple seed light sources, and at the same time solve the problems of polarization consistency, optical path stability and multi-path scalability. It is suitable for large scientific facilities, multi-wavelength laser processing, high-power laser amplification, timing pulse selection and other scenarios, and can significantly improve the flexibility, stability and robustness of laser systems.

[0008] Before describing the content of this invention, the following terms are defined as follows:

[0009] The term "Glan prism" refers to a type of polarizing prism made of birefringent crystals such as calcite. It is usually composed of two right-angle prisms and uses the birefringence properties of crystals to filter or separate polarized light.

[0010] The term "P-polarized light," also known as parallel polarized light, is short for Polarized Light (Parallel Component) (standard abbreviation: P-polarized light). It refers to linearly polarized light whose electric field vibration direction is parallel to the incident plane.

[0011] The term "S-polarized light," also known as vertically polarized light, is short for Perpendicular Polarized Light (standard abbreviation: S-polarized light, where "S" comes from the German word "Senkrecht," meaning "vertical"). It refers to linearly polarized light whose electric field vibration direction is perpendicular to the incident plane.

[0012] The term "Nd:YAG", also known as neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet, is formed by replacing some yttrium ions with a small amount of trivalent neodymium ions (Nd3) in the crystal lattice of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG). The neodymium ions provide the core activity for laser luminescence in the crystal, while the yttrium aluminum garnet crystal provides a stable physical and optical substrate.

[0013] The term "BBO," also known as β-phase barium borate crystal, is a negative uniaxial crystal.

[0014] Furthermore, in the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0015] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0016] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0017] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of the present invention provides a multi-source optical path switching system, wherein the multi-source optical path switching system comprises, in sequence:

[0018] Seed source unit, optical path switching unit, and amplification unit; wherein:

[0019] The seed source unit includes multiple seed light sources;

[0020] The optical path switching unit includes: a translation mechanism, an extension arm, and an optical component, and the optical component includes: a group of light-transmitting holes composed of multiple light-transmitting holes, a group of Glan prisms composed of multiple Glan prisms, a group of half-wave plates composed of multiple half-wave plates, and a group of reflectors composed of multiple reflectors.

[0021] The amplification unit is used to receive and amplify the seed light selected by the optical path switching unit.

[0022] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the multiple sub-source optical path switching system includes: a translation arm driven by a translation stage, the extension direction of the translation arm being parallel to the propagation direction of the seed light; the extension arm being vertically fixed to the translation arm of the translation mechanism; and / or the light-transmitting aperture group and the half-wave plate group being disposed on the same or different extension arms.

[0023] Preferably, in the multi-source optical path switching system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the driving method of the translation stage is selected from one or more of the following: manual displacement driving, shape memory alloy displacement driving, servo electric displacement driving, and electric linear slide driving; more preferably selected from one or more of the following: shape memory alloy displacement driving, servo electric displacement driving, and electric linear slide driving; more preferably servo electric displacement driving and / or electric linear slide driving; and most preferably electric linear slide driving.

[0024] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the number of seed light sources, the number of light-transmitting holes in the light-transmitting hole group, the number of Glan prisms in the Glan prism group, the number of half-wave plates in the half-wave plate group, and / or the number of reflectors in the reflector group are ≥3, preferably ≥4; and / or.

[0025] The optical path switching unit achieves optical path switching at multiple different positions through the translation mechanism, and the number of different positions is preferably ≥3, more preferably ≥4.

[0026] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the optical path of the seed light selected by the optical path switching unit is as follows: the beam of the seed light passes through its corresponding light-passing aperture directly to the center of the Glan prism group and reaches the amplification unit, while the remaining unselected seed lights are blocked by the extension arm.

[0027] According to the multi-source optical path switching system of the first aspect of the present invention, the Glan prisms of the Glan prism group are arranged in the same direction; and / or

[0028] The reflectors in the reflector group are selected from one or more of the following: right-angle prisms, pentaprisms, 45° reflectors; preferably pentaprisms and / or 45° reflectors; most preferably 45° reflectors.

[0029] According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the seed source unit, the seed beam emitted by one of the seed light sources is P-polarized light, and the seed beam emitted by the other seed light sources is S-polarized light.

[0030] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the multiple sub-source optical path switching system has both light transmission and blocking functions, and the light transmission hole group is located on the extension arm;

[0031] Preferably, the diameter of the light-transmitting aperture matches the diameter of the seed light, and / or

[0032] Preferably, the non-light-transmitting area of ​​the extension arm is a solid blocking structure.

[0033] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for switching multiple sub-source optical paths, the switching method comprising using the multiple sub-source optical path switching system described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0034] A third aspect of the present invention provides a laser device comprising the multiple sub-source optical path switching system described in the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the laser device is selected from one or more of the following: femtosecond laser, attosecond laser, free electron laser, synchrotron radiation laser, terawatt laser, petawatt laser, disk laser, and optical parametric amplifier.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a multi-sub-source optical path switching system is provided, comprising:

[0036] Seed source unit (1), optical path switching unit (2), and amplification unit (3);

[0037] The seed source unit (1) includes the first to fourth seed sources (11, 12, 13, 14) that are distributed in parallel at equal intervals;

[0038] The optical path switching unit (2) includes:

[0039] Translation mechanism: a translation arm (21) driven by a translation stage (26), the extension direction of the translation arm (21) being parallel to the propagation direction of the seed light;

[0040] Four sets of extension arms: the first to fourth extension arms (22, 23, 24, 25) are vertically fixed to the translation arm (21);

[0041] Optical components:

[0042] Light-transmitting hole group: four equidistant light-transmitting holes (221, 222, 223, 224) are provided on the first extension arm (22);

[0043] Glan prism group: the first to third Glan prisms arranged in a straight line (271, 272, 273);

[0044] Half-wave plate group: the first to third half-wave plates (281, 282, 283) respectively located on the second to fourth extension arms (23, 24, 25);

[0045] The mirror assembly consists of seven 45° mirrors.

[0046] The amplification unit (3) is used to receive and amplify the selected seed light;

[0047] The translation stage (26) controls the translation arm (21) to move laterally, switching the optical path in four positions:

[0048] Position 1: The beam of the first seed source (11) passes through the light-transmitting hole (221) and goes directly to the center of the Glan prism group (271, 272, 273) to the amplification unit, while the other three seed beams are blocked by the first extension arm (22).

[0049] Position 2: The beam from the second seed source (12) passes through the light-transmitting aperture (222) → reflector M5 → Glan prism (271) → half-wave plate (281) → Glan prism (272,273) to the amplification unit, while the other three seed beams are blocked by the first extension arm (22).

[0050] Position 3: The beam of the third seed source (13) passes through the light-transmitting hole (223) → reflector M6 → Glan prism (272) → half-wave plate (282) → Glan prism (273) to the amplification unit, while the other three seed beams are blocked by the first extension arm (22).

[0051] Position 4: The beam of the fourth seed source (14) passes through the light-transmitting hole (224) → reflector M7 → Glan prism (273) → half-wave plate (283) to the amplification unit, while the other three seed beams are blocked by the first extension arm (22).

[0052] According to the preferred embodiment described above, in the multiple sub-source optical path switching system, the translation stage (26) is driven by an electric linear slide table with a positioning accuracy of ≤ ±0.01mm.

[0053] According to the preferred embodiment described above, in the multiple sub-source optical path switching system, the seed beam emitted by the first seed source 11 is P-polarized light, and the seed beams emitted by the second to fourth seed sources (12, 13, 14) are S-polarized light. The oblique surfaces of the Glan prism group (271, 272, 273) are all oriented towards the +45° direction to ensure that the seed beams entering the amplification unit 3 are all P-polarized.

[0054] According to the preferred embodiment described above, in the multiple source optical path switching system, the first extension arm (22) has both light transmission and blocking functions, the diameter of its light transmission hole matches the diameter of the seed light, and the non-light transmission area is a solid blocking structure.

[0055] According to the preferred embodiment described above, the multi-source optical path switching system is preferably expanded to switch five or more light sources:

[0056] When expanded to five light sources, a fifth seed source (15), a fifth extension arm (29), a fourth Glan prism (274), a fourth half-wave plate (284), an eighth reflector M8 and a ninth reflector M9 are added, and a fifth light-passing hole (225) is added to the first extension arm (22).

[0057] Based on the concept of this invention, the innovations of the multi-sub-source optical path switching system, its method, and laser device of this invention are as follows:

[0058] (1) Mechanical-optical coordinated switching mechanism

[0059] The extension arm integrates light-passing and blocking functions: the first extension arm 22 serves a dual purpose of light transmission and physical blocking, synchronously opening the target light path and blocking the non-target light path through a single translation, simplifying the control logic. A small range (5-15mm) of displacement of the translation stage allows for a wide range (0-60mm) of position selection for the four seed light sources. No re-adjustment is required after light path switching, resulting in extremely low precision requirements for the translation stage and extremely high stability of the optical path system.

[0060] (2) Polarization Consistency Control Technology

[0061] Glan prisms are aligned in the same direction: all Glan prisms have their beveled faces in the same direction (e.g., +45°), so that the output polarization direction is S-polarization, eliminating polarization state changes caused by path differences.

[0062] Half-wave plates achieve polarization state conversion: Half-wave plates 281-283 perform polarization state conversion on the seed sources of the second to fourth optical paths respectively, ensuring that the polarization direction of the output of the four seed sources is consistent with that of the first optical path.

[0063] (3) Modular and scalable design

[0064] Optical path capacity expansion: By increasing the number of extension arms and the density of light-transmitting apertures, it can support switching of five or even six light sources.

[0065] Wavelength compatibility: The Glan prism uses a broadband antireflective coating (350-1100nm) and a half-wave plate covering the ultraviolet to near-infrared bands to adapt to different wavelength seed sources.

[0066] (4) Reduced production costs

[0067] With a simple mechanical structure and simplified circuit drive module, the system avoids the reduction in system reliability caused by the failure of the electronic control module. It uses only a conventional electric linear slide to achieve 4-channel optical switching, which greatly reduces the economic cost of the entire system.

[0068] The multi-source optical path switching system, method, and laser device of the present invention can be applied to the following scenarios:

[0069] High-power picosecond lasers used as photocathode driving sources can flexibly adjust the time-domain waveform of pulse stacking by switching phase-locked seed sources with different fundamental repetition frequencies (such as 27MHz-54MHz-108MHz-216M), thereby enriching the dynamic range of laser parameters.

[0070] Redundancy design significantly reduces the overall failure rate of large scientific facilities such as femtosecond laser-driven seed sources, attosecond light sources, free-electron lasers, and synchrotron radiation sources, and eliminates the time required for optical path readjustment through real-time and stable optical path switching.

[0071] Used for selecting and switching multiple sub-source parameters in large scientific facilities, high-energy laser amplifiers, and laser processing devices, including but not limited to terawatt lasers, petawatt lasers, high-power femtosecond lasers, high-energy disk lasers, and high-energy optical parametric amplifiers.

[0072] Compared with the prior art, the multi-source optical path switching system, method and laser device of the present invention can have, but are not limited to, the following beneficial effects:

[0073] 1) Mechanical translation under the control of a high-precision translation stage greatly improves the switching accuracy of the entire multi-sub-source optical path switching system;

[0074] 2) Any selected seed source enters the amplification unit with the same polarization state, which meets the requirements of high power amplification and does not affect the subsequent amplification effect;

[0075] 3) Improved system vibration resistance and enhanced stability;

[0076] 4) The mechanical structure is simplified, making it easier to expand more optical paths. The number of optical components in the system is reduced, the assembly and adjustment time is shortened, and the overall cost is reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0077] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0078] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the optical path switching unit of the multi-source optical path switching system of the present invention, with the spatial positions of the translation arm, extension arm, Glan prism and half-wave plate marked.

[0079] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path at position 1 (first seed optical path) of the multi-source optical path switching system in Example 1;

[0080] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path at position 2 of the multi-source optical path switching system in Example 1 (second seed optical path, including mirror steering);

[0081] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of position 3 optical path of the multi-sub-source optical path switching system in Example 1 (third seed optical path, including mirror turning);

[0082] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the position 4 optical path of the multi-sub-source optical path switching system in Example 1 (fourth seed optical path, including mirror turning);

[0083] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the extension of the multi-sub-source optical path switching system of Example 1 into a five-source light source switching unit.

[0084] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0085] 1. Pump source unit; 2. Optical path switching unit; 3. Amplification unit; 11. First seed source; 12. Second seed source; 13. Third seed source; 14. Fourth seed source; 21. Translation arm; 22. First extension arm; 23. Second extension arm; 24. Third extension arm; 25. Fourth extension arm; 26. Translation stage; 221. First light aperture; 222. Second light aperture; 223. Third light aperture; 224. Fourth light aperture; 271. First Glan prism; 272. Second Glan prism; 273. Third Glan prism; 281. First half-wave plate; 282. Second half-wave plate; 283. Third half-wave plate; M1-M7. Reflectors Detailed Implementation

[0086] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are only used for more detailed and specific description, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention in any way.

[0087] This section provides a general description of the materials and testing methods used in the experiments of this invention. While many of the materials and methods of operation used to achieve the objectives of this invention are well known in the art, the invention is still described in as much detail as possible herein. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise stated in the context, the materials and methods of operation used in this invention are well known in the art.

[0088] Example 1

[0089] This embodiment is an exemplary description of the multi-source optical path switching system and optical path switching method of the present invention.

[0090] like Figures 1-5 As shown, the multi-source optical path switching system of this embodiment includes: seed source unit 1, optical path switching unit 2, and amplification unit 3.

[0091] Seed source unit 1 contains four parallel and equidistantly distributed seed light sources (first seed source 11, second seed source 12, third seed source 13 and fourth seed source 14), with a spacing of 20mm between each light source, a beam diameter of 8mm, and the same beam height, which can be incident parallel to the light path switching unit 2.

[0092] Optical path switching unit 2 consists of a translation mechanism, a polarization management component, and a mirror assembly:

[0093] Translation mechanism: Translation arm 21 is fixed on translation stage 26, and its extension direction is parallel to the seed light propagation direction. Four extension arms (first extension arm 22, second extension arm 23, third extension arm 24 and fourth extension arm 25) are vertically arranged on translation arm 21. Among them, the first extension arm 22 has four light-transmitting holes (first light-transmitting hole 221, second light-transmitting hole 222, third light-transmitting hole 223 and fourth light-transmitting hole 224). The spacing between the four light-transmitting holes is slightly larger than the spacing between the seed light sources, about 25mm.

[0094] The polarization management assembly includes a Glan prism group (first Glan prism 271, second Glan prism 272, and third Glan prism 273) and a half-wave plate group (first half-wave plate 281, second half-wave plate 282, and third half-wave plate 283). The three Glan prisms are respectively positioned between the first to fourth extension arms, arranged in a straight line, with their beveled surfaces facing the same direction, ensuring that the polarization directions of the four seed beams entering the amplification unit are consistent. The three half-wave plates are respectively mounted on the second extension arm 23, the third extension arm 24, and the fourth extension arm 25 to change the polarization state of the second to fourth seed sources, allowing them to pass through the Glan prism group in the subsequent optical path.

[0095] The mirror assembly consists of seven 45° mirrors (M1-M7) that redirect the light paths of the second to fourth seed sources by 90°, ultimately ensuring that all light paths enter the amplification unit 2 along the same path.

[0096] Amplification unit 3 receives the selected seed light and performs multi-stage Nd:YAG amplification, with an output power range of 10-100W.

[0097] Based on the multiple sub-source optical path switching system of this embodiment, the four-path optical path switching method exemplified by four seed light source systems is as follows:

[0098] like Figures 1-5 As shown, the translation arm 21 is moved horizontally by the translation stage 26, and selective light transmission is achieved in four positions. At each position, only one beam of seed light can pass through the light transmission hole, while the other three beams are blocked by the extension arm 22.

[0099] Position 1 (first seed light passes through):

[0100] Assuming the initial position is that the translation arm 21 is moved to the origin (i.e., position 1), the first light-passing aperture 221 of the translation arm 21 is aligned with the first seed source 11. The P-polarized seed beam emitted by the first seed source 11 passes through the first light-passing aperture 221 and enters the first Glan prism 271. After transmission, it sequentially enters the centers of the second Glan prism 272 and the third Glan prism 273, directly entering the amplification unit 3. The other three seed beams are physically blocked by the first extension arm 22.

[0101] Position 2 (Second seed light passes through):

[0102] The translation stage 26 controls the translation arm 21 to move by 5mm to position 2, so that the second light aperture 222 is aligned with the second seed source 12. The S-polarized seed beam emitted by the second seed source 12 is reflected by the reflector M5 and deflected by 90° before entering the first Glan prism 271. After being reflected by the first Glan prism 271 and deflected by 90°, it is then transmitted sequentially through the first half-wave plate 281, at which point the polarization state changes from P to S. It is then transmitted through the second Glan prism 272 and the third Glan prism 273 before entering the amplification unit 3. The other three seed beams are physically blocked by the first extension arm 22.

[0103] Position 3 (Third seed light passes through):

[0104] The translation stage 26 controls the translation arm 21 to move by 10mm to position 3, so that the third light aperture 223 is aligned with the third seed source 13. The S-polarized seed beam emitted by the third seed source 13 is reflected by the reflector M6 and deflected by 90° before entering the second Glan prism 272. After being reflected by the second Glan prism 272 and deflected by 90°, it is transmitted through the second half-wave plate 282, at which point the polarization state changes from P to S. It is then transmitted through the third Glan prism 273 and enters the amplification unit 3. The other three seed beams are physically blocked by the first extension arm 22.

[0105] Position 4 (fourth seed light passes through):

[0106] The translation stage 26 controls the translation arm 21 to move by 15mm to position 4, so that the fourth light aperture 224 is aligned with the fourth seed source 14. The S-polarized seed beam emitted by the fourth seed source 14 is reflected by the reflector M7 and deflected by 90° before entering the third Glan prism 273. After being reflected by the third Glan prism 273 and deflected by 90°, it is transmitted through the third half-wave plate 283, at which point the polarization state changes from P to S, and then enters the amplification unit 3. The other three seed beams are physically blocked by the first extension arm 22.

[0107] Table 1: Four-way optical path switching paths and the functions of optical components

[0108]

[0109] The specific parameters of the four seed sources in Seed Source Unit 1 are as follows:

[0110] Four seed sources, each with identical parameters, can be used in large scientific facilities such as attosecond light sources, free-electron lasers, and synchrotron radiation sources. Under normal operating conditions, only one seed source is selected to provide seed light for subsequent amplification units, while the remaining three are in reserve. If a selected seed source fails, the optical path switching system quickly switches the optical path to ensure stable seed light output. Assuming a 20% annual failure rate for a single seed source and a 6-8 week return-to-factory repair time, the expected failure time for a large facility is 8-11 days. The probability of simultaneous failure of all four seed sources is reduced to 0.16%. If the switching can be completed instantaneously without triggering optical path collimation adjustment, the long-term stability and reliability of the large scientific facility can be significantly improved, ensuring its annual operating time. High pointing stability is required for the optical path switching device.

[0111] Optionally, four seed sources with different pulse widths are available for switching between wide-spectrum, short-pulse-width amplifiers and narrow-spectrum, long-pulse-width amplifiers.

[0112] Optionally, the four seed sources have different repetition frequencies, which are used for switching the accelerator photocathode drive source to lock onto different repetition frequencies.

[0113] Optionally, four seed sources with different energies are available for different energy amplifiers to improve contrast, suppress self-excited oscillations, and switch between high and low output power.

[0114] Optionally, the specifications of each component in optical path switching unit 2 are as follows:

[0115] The translation stage 26 is an electric linear slide with a stroke of 35mm and a repeatability of ±0.01mm; the extension arm 22 has dimensions of 100×50×5mm, a light-transmitting aperture diameter of 8mm, and an aperture spacing of 25mm; the three Glan prisms are all calcite α-BBO, with dimensions of 12.7mm×12.7mm×12.7mm and an extinction ratio >1000:1; the three half-wave plates 281-283 are true zero-order quartz wave plates.

[0116] Optionally, the extension arms 22-25 and the translation arm 21 are integrally formed from hard aluminum alloy to ensure that the relative position error of the optical elements during translation is <0.05mm.

[0117] While the effects of some embodiments have been shown above, those skilled in the art should understand that, based on the concept of the invention, other embodiments not specifically shown or other technical solutions of the invention not shown in the embodiments can also achieve the same technical effects as those claimed in the summary section:

[0118] Although the invention has been described to a certain extent, it is obvious that appropriate changes can be made to various conditions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but falls within the scope of the claims, including equivalent substitutions for each element.

Claims

1. A multi-source optical path switching system, characterized in that, The aforementioned multi-source optical path switching system comprises, in sequence: Seed source unit, optical path switching unit, and amplification unit; wherein: The seed source unit includes multiple seed light sources; The optical path switching unit includes: a translation mechanism, an extension arm, and an optical component, and the optical component includes: a group of light-transmitting holes consisting of multiple light-transmitting holes, a group of Glan prisms consisting of multiple Glan prisms, a group of half-wave plates consisting of multiple half-wave plates, and a group of reflectors consisting of multiple reflectors. The amplification unit is used to receive and amplify the seed light selected by the optical path switching unit.

2. The multi-source optical path switching system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The translation mechanism includes: a translation arm driven by a translation stage, wherein the extension direction of the translation arm is parallel to the propagation direction of the seed light; The extension arm is vertically fixed to the translation arm of the translation mechanism; and / or The light-transmitting aperture group and the half-wave plate group are disposed on the same or different extension arms.

3. The multi-source optical path switching system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving method of the translation stage is selected from one or more of the following: manual displacement drive, shape memory alloy displacement drive, servo electric displacement drive, electric linear slide drive; preferably selected from one or more of the following: shape memory alloy displacement drive, servo electric displacement drive, electric linear slide drive; more preferably servo electric displacement drive and / or electric linear slide drive; most preferably electric linear slide drive.

4. The multi-source optical path switching system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The number of seed light sources, the number of light holes in the light-transmitting hole group, the number of Glan prisms in the Glan prism group, the number of half-wave plates in the half-wave plate group, and / or the number of reflectors in the reflector group are ≥3, preferably ≥4; and / or. The optical path switching unit achieves optical path switching at multiple different positions through the translation mechanism, and the number of different positions is preferably ≥3, more preferably ≥4.

5. The multi-source optical path switching system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The optical path selected by the optical path switching unit is as follows: the beam of the seed light passes through its corresponding light-passing hole and goes directly to the center of the Glan prism group to reach the amplification unit, while the remaining unselected seed lights are blocked by the extension arm.

6. The multi-subsource optical path switching system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The Glan prisms in the Glan prism group are arranged in the same direction; and / or The reflectors in the reflector group are selected from one or more of the following: right-angle prisms, pentaprisms, 45° reflectors; preferably pentaprisms and / or 45° reflectors; most preferably 45° reflectors.

7. The multi-source optical path switching system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: In the seed source unit, the seed beam emitted by one of the seed light sources is P-polarized light, and the seed beams emitted by the other seed light sources are S-polarized light.

8. The multi-source optical path switching system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The extension arm has both light transmission and blocking functions, and the light transmission hole group is located on the extension arm; Preferably, the diameter of the light-transmitting aperture matches the diameter of the seed light, and / or Preferably, the non-light-transmitting area of ​​the extension arm is a solid blocking structure.

9. A method for switching multiple sub-source optical paths, characterized in that, The switching method includes using a multi-subsource optical path switching system according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. A laser device comprising the multi-source optical path switching system according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The laser device is selected from one or more of the following: Femtosecond laser, attosecond laser, free-electron laser, synchrotron radiation laser, terawatt laser, petawatt laser, disk laser, optical parametric amplifier.

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