Laser emitter arrangement for providing an output laser beam at an output of the laser emitter arrangement and method for providing an output laser beam

Abstract

The invention relates to a laser emitter arrangement (10) for providing an output laser beam (34) at an output (12) of the laser emitter arrangement (10). The laser emitter arrangement (10) has a plurality of deflection mirrors (76), wherein each deflection mirror (76) has a mirror surface (86) which has a concave profile in an X-direction of the deflection mirror (76) for the purpose of collimating a laser beam (34) in the slow axis direction (40) thereof. The output laser beam (34) is formed from a plurality of laser beams (34) which are each guided via one of the deflection mirrors (76).

Description

[0001] Applicant: TRUMPF Laser SE, Aichhalderstraße 39, 78713 Schramberg

[0002] Title: Laser emitter arrangement for providing an output-

[0003] Laser beam at an output of the laser emitter arrangement and method for providing an output laser beam

[0004] Description

[0005] The invention relates to a laser emitter arrangement for providing an output laser beam at an output of the laser emitter arrangement and a method for providing an output laser beam.

[0006] A laser emitter array can provide an output laser beam, for example, for optical pumping of a laser-active medium in a solid-state laser. The solid-state laser can be configured as a disk laser or fiber laser, for instance. Consequently, the output laser beam provided by the laser emitter array can be suitable for optical pumping, for example, of solid-state lasers.

[0007] Besides optical pumping, other applications for the output laser beam of the laser emitter arrangement are possible – provided the output laser beam is supplied with a specific power, for example, in workpiece processing or in medical technology. In such applications, the output laser beam can function not only as an optical pump source but can also be configured as an unamplified processing / treatment laser beam. The object of the present invention is to provide a laser emitter arrangement that has improved properties, is particularly cost-effective to manufacture, and / or is suitable for supplying a high-power output laser beam.Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for supplying an output laser beam at an output of a laser emitter arrangement, which has improved properties, in particular with which the output laser beam can be supplied at the output with high power.

[0008] The invention solves these problems with a laser emitter arrangement having the features of claim 1 and with a method having the features of claim 12. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0009] A laser emitter arrangement according to the invention is configured to provide an output laser beam at an output of the laser emitter arrangement. The laser emitter arrangement comprises a plurality, for example 8 to 60, in particular 10 to 25, of laser emitter units, a plurality, for example 8 to 60, in particular 10 to 25, of fast-axis collimator lenses, and a plurality, for example 8 to 60, in particular 10 to 25, of deflecting mirrors. Each laser emitter unit is configured to generate a laser beam. Each fast-axis collimator lens is associated with a laser emitter unit. Each fast-axis collimator lens is configured to collimate the laser beam of the laser emitter unit associated with the fast-axis collimator lens in its fast-axis direction. Each deflecting mirror is assigned to a laser emitter device. Each deflecting mirror has a reflective surface.Each mirror surface is designed to deflect the laser beam from the laser emitter associated with the deflecting mirror and collimate it in its slow-axis direction. Each mirror surface has a concave profile along an X-direction of the deflecting mirror to facilitate collimation of the laser beam in the slow-axis direction. The output laser beam is formed from the laser beams of the laser emitters.

[0010] Advantageously, this allows the output laser beam to have a higher power than the output laser beam of a laser emitter array that uses planar deflection mirrors and multiple slow-axis collimator lenses for collimating the laser beams in the slow-axis direction. The higher output laser beam power is achieved because the slow-axis collimator lenses do not need to be separate components, thus shortening the propagation paths of the laser beams between the laser emitters and the output. Due to these shorter propagation paths, any residual divergence in the fast-axis direction after the fast-axis collimator lens has a lesser impact, resulting in less broadening of the laser beams in the fast-axis direction when they strike the deflection mirrors.The reduced widening in the fast-axis direction allows for a denser arrangement of the laser beams relative to each other. This means that, for a given output size, a greater number of laser beams can be used to generate the output laser beam, resulting in a higher output laser beam power.

[0011] Residual divergence typically occurs after collimation due to diffraction effects and / or a transverse spatial extent of the laser emitter assembly. In other words, residual divergence can arise from a deviation of the laser beam source from a point source. In particular, a transverse extent of the laser beam source and the resulting distance of the marginal rays from the optical axis of the fast-axis collimator lens can lead to residual divergence.

[0012] Another advantage is that the laser emitter assembly can be designed to be particularly compact. Therefore, this laser emitter assembly can be especially beneficial for applications requiring a very compact design. In particular, the compact design of the laser emitter assembly can facilitate its integration into laser units. Additionally, it can be used in applications where mass and size are critical. For example, in aerospace, mass and size are of paramount importance, making this laser emitter assembly particularly suitable for aerospace applications.

[0013] Another advantage is that the laser emitter arrangement is more cost-effective than one that uses planar deflecting mirrors and multiple slow-axis collimator lenses. Advantageously, the laser emitter arrangement according to the invention eliminates the need to place slow-axis collimator lenses during its fabrication, thus saving components and reducing manufacturing time. Therefore, the laser emitter arrangement can be particularly cost-effective to manufacture.Another aspect is that, due to shorter propagation distances between fast-axis collimator lenses and deflecting mirrors, the laser beams exhibit smaller beam diameters on the deflecting mirrors in the fast-axis direction. This allows the laser beams to be stacked relatively densely for imaging the output laser beam, resulting in a higher sensing factor across the cross-section of the output laser beam. The sensing factor can describe the density of laser beams across the cross-section of the output laser beam. In particular, a higher maximum fill factor can be achieved with this laser emitter arrangement.

[0014] Advantageously, in the laser emitter arrangement, compared to a laser emitter arrangement that has planar deflecting mirrors and a plurality of slow-axis collimator lenses, a 5% to 15% higher output power of the output laser beam can be achieved with the same beam quality of the output laser beam due to the higher maximum fill factor.

[0015] The term laser emitter assembly can refer to a laser diode module or a diode laser. Specifically, the laser emitter assembly can be configured as a laser diode module or as a diode laser. The laser emitter assembly can also be referred to as a pump module.

[0016] Each laser beam can propagate in one direction.

[0017] Every laser emitter device can have at least one emitter for generating the laser beam. An emitter can be a laser diode bar. Each emitter can be made of a semiconductor laser material. Every laser emitter device can have a single emitter. Every laser emitter device can have a chip-on-submount design.

[0018] Each emitter can extend along a longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axes of the emitters can be aligned parallel to each other.

[0019] The fast-axis and slow-axis directions can be orthogonal to each other. The laser beam exiting the laser emitter can define the fast-axis and slow-axis directions. The laser beam exiting the laser emitter can propagate in the fast-axis direction with a larger divergence angle than in the slow-axis direction. In other words, when the laser beam exits the laser emitter, it can propagate along its direction of propagation, with the diameter of the laser beam increasing more sharply in the fast-axis direction up to the fast-axis collimator lens than the diameter of the laser beam in the slow-axis direction.

[0020] The emitter can be arranged, in particular attached, to a mounting plate of the laser emitter device. The mounting plate can be arranged on the emitter forming a flat interface between the emitter and the mounting plate, which is oriented orthogonally to the fast-axis direction.

[0021] Each fast-axis collimator lens can be a cylindrical lens, in particular an aspherical cylindrical lens. Each fast-axis collimator lens can have a focal length in the range of 200 pm (micrometers) to 700 pm. Each fast-axis collimator lens can be made of fused silica. Each fast-axis collimator lens can have an antireflective coating for a wavelength of the laser beam of the laser emitter associated with the fast-axis collimator lens. The antireflective coating can be designed to reduce the reflectance of the laser beam at interfaces of the fast-axis collimator lens. The fast-axis collimator lens can be attached to the mounting plate, in particular by means of an adhesive bond. The adhesive bond can be created, for example, using a UV adhesive. UV adhesive can be an adhesive that can be hardened by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

[0022] The laser emitter devices can be of identical construction. In particular, the laser emitter devices can be designed identically.

[0023] Each laser beam can have a diffraction coefficient M in the near-axis direction. 2 in a range of 1 to 2 and in the slow-axis direction a diffraction measure M 2 exhibit values ​​in the range of 14 to 50. The diffraction coefficients M 2 The laser beams in the near-axis direction can be equal, especially in their magnitudes. Additionally or alternatively, the diffraction coefficients M can be 2 the laser beams in the slow-axis direction, especially in their magnitudes, must be the same.

[0024] The laser emitter assembly may have a base plate. Multiple laser emitter units may be attached to the base plate. Multiple deflecting mirrors may also be attached to the base plate.

[0025] The base plate can be cuboid in shape. Its height can be less than its width and / or length. The base plate can be designed as a cooled plate for cooling the laser emitters. It can be designed to allow flow of a cooling medium, such as cooling water, through the base plate for cooling the laser emitters. Alternatively, the base plate can be cooled directly or indirectly via a separate cooling plate. In the case of indirect cooling, a heat transfer layer made of a material with a comparatively high thermal conductivity, such as a carbon material, particularly graphite, can be arranged between the base plate and the cooling plate. The cooling plate can be designed to allow flow through or onto the laser emitters for cooling purposes.The heat transfer layer can have a thickness of 50 pm to 1000 pm, in particular 100 pm to 500 pm, preferably 150 pm to 250 pm and particularly preferably 200 pm.

[0026] The base plate can be designed to be attached to an object, for example, an optical table. The base plate can have a number of features, such as through holes and / or threads, for attaching it to the object. The base plate can be made of a metal material, in particular copper (Cu).

[0027] The base plate may have a coating. The coating may be made of a material containing gold and / or nickel. For example, the coating may be a gold-nickel alloy. The coating may be made of a material containing at least 40 wt% gold, preferably at least 80 wt% or 95 wt% gold. Additionally or alternatively, the coating may be made of a material containing at least 40 wt% nickel, preferably at least 80 wt% or 95 wt% nickel.

[0028] The laser emitter units and / or deflecting mirrors can be positively and / or materially bonded to the base plate. For example, the laser emitter units and / or deflecting mirrors can be attached to the base plate by means of an adhesive bond, soldered joint, or welded joint. The adhesive bond can be made using a UV adhesive. The UV adhesive can be an adhesive that can be cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light. Additionally or alternatively, the adhesive bond can be made using an adhesive that has a thermal conductivity of more than 0.5 W / (meter*Kelvin). The laser emitter units can be thermally bonded to the base plate in such a way that the connection between each laser emitter unit and the base plate has a thermal conductivity of at least 0.5 W / (meter*Kelvin).In particular, the thermal conductivity of the connection between each laser emitter device and the base plate can range from 0.5 watts / (meter*kelvin) to 150 watts / (meter*kelvin).

[0029] The base plate can have a flat surface section. The majority of laser emitter assemblies can be arranged on this flat surface section. Additionally or alternatively, the majority of deflecting mirrors can be arranged on this flat surface section. Advantageously, the flat surface section simplifies the fabrication of the laser emitter assembly. In particular, a base plate with a flat surface section is less expensive to manufacture than a base plate with stepped surface sections.

[0030] The flat surface section can be a continuous surface section. The flat surface section can be an uninterrupted surface section. The flat surface section can be arranged in a single plane of the base plate. Alternatively, the flat surface section can define a single plane of the base plate. The flat surface section can form a surface of the base plate. The surface formed by the flat surface section can be arranged in one, and in particular a single, plane. The base plate can have a single flat surface section for arranging the laser emitter devices. In other words, the laser emitter devices can be arranged on a single flat surface section.

[0031] The laser emitter devices can be arranged at equal distances from each other on the flat surface section.

[0032] Each deflecting mirror can be designed as a Bragg mirror.

[0033] Each deflecting mirror can be manufactured using an injection molding process, in particular an in-mold process. Such a manufacturing process can be especially suitable for producing deflecting mirrors that have a concave profile along an X-direction. Another advantage of the injection molding process, especially the in-mold process, is that the deflecting mirrors can be manufactured cost-effectively and in large quantities. Each deflecting mirror can be configured to deflect the propagation direction of the laser beam from the laser emitter associated with the deflecting mirror by 80° to 100°, in particular 85° to 95° or 88° to 92°, preferably 90°. The deflecting mirrors can be of identical design.

[0034] Each mirror surface can be configured to reflect the laser beam from the laser emitter device associated with the deflecting mirror. Reflecting the laser beam can be understood to mean that the deflecting mirror is configured to reflect the laser beam with a reflectance of over 80%, preferably 90%, 95%, 98%, or 99%.

[0035] The X-direction can run parallel to the base plate, especially the flat surface section.

[0036] Each mirror surface can extend along the X-direction and a Y-direction of the deflecting mirror that is orthogonal to the X-direction. The X-direction and / or the Y-direction can each be straight.

[0037] Any mirror surface can have a rectangular shape, particularly when viewed orthogonally to the X and Y directions. Specifically, if each laser beam propagates along a direction parallel to the base plate, and especially parallel to the flat surface section, before striking the deflecting mirror, the mirror surface can have a rectangular shape, particularly when viewed orthogonally to the X and Y directions.

[0038] Each deflecting mirror can have an effective focal length due to its concave shape. The effective focal length can range from 10 mm (millimeters) to 30 mm. Each laser emitter device can have an exit aperture for the generated laser beam to exit the laser emitter device. Each laser emitter device, and in particular each exit aperture, can be spaced a certain distance apart from its associated deflecting mirror with the effective focal length.

[0039] Each effective focal length can be matched to a diameter of the output.

[0040] Each deflecting mirror can have an effective focal point due to its concave shape. Each laser emitter device can be positioned relative to its associated deflecting mirror such that the exit aperture is located at the effective focal point.

[0041] The output laser beam can be a group of laser beams or a laser beam bundle formed from the laser beams. Preferably, the output laser beam can consist of the laser beams themselves. The output laser beam can propagate in a direction of propagation. The direction of propagation of the output laser beam can be aligned parallel to the base plate, in particular parallel to the flat surface section of the base plate.

[0042] The output laser beam can be configured to be coupled into a waveguide for guiding the output laser beam. The waveguide can be, for example, an optical fiber or a fiber optic cable. The output laser beam can be configured to be coupled into the waveguide if an end face of the waveguide is located at or positioned at the output. It is also conceivable that the laser emitter assembly can incorporate the waveguide, with the output formed by the end face of the waveguide. Alternatively, the output can be formed by an opening in a housing of the laser emitter assembly.

[0043] The output laser beam can be generated by directing the laser beams towards the output, particularly by means of optical components of the laser emitter assembly. The optical components of the laser emitter assembly can be attached to the base plate. Preferably, the optical components can be arranged on the flat surface section. The optical components can be, for example, mirrors and / or lenses.

[0044] The output laser beam can be formed by arranging the laser beams relative to each other. Forming the output laser beam can involve arranging the laser beams one above the other in the fast-axis direction. In a cross-section of the output laser beam, the laser beams can be arranged one above the other in the fast-axis direction, for example, at equal intervals. In the cross-section of the output laser beam, the laser beams can overlap, at least partially. In the cross-section of the output laser beam, the distance between two adjacent laser beams can be less than or equal to the width or length of one of the two adjacent laser beams.

[0045] The laser beams can be arranged in the cross-section of the output laser beam to form a laser beam array. The laser beam array can be aligned parallel to the fast-axis direction. The laser beam array can be aligned perpendicular to the base plate, in particular perpendicular to the flat surface section of the base plate.

[0046] The laser beams can be arranged within the cross-section of the output laser beam such that their propagation directions are parallel to each other. Alternatively, the propagation directions of the laser beams can be offset from each other within the cross-section of the output laser beam.

[0047] The output laser beam can exit the output with a predetermined beam diameter and divergence, pass through the output, and / or be guided through the output. In other words, the output can be designed for the exit of the output laser beam from the laser emitter assembly.

[0048] At the output, the output laser beam can have a beam diameter in the range of, for example, 100 pm to 1500 pm, in particular 200 pm to 500 pm. At the output, the output laser beam can have a divergence angle in the range of, for example, 5° to 40°, in particular 10° to 25°.

[0049] The laser emitter arrangement can include a polarization coupling device and / or a wavelength coupling device. The output laser beam can be generated by polarization coupling of the laser beams using the polarization coupling device and / or by wavelength coupling of the laser beams using the wavelength coupling device. Advantageously, polarization coupling and / or wavelength coupling of the laser beams can provide an output laser beam with particularly high power.

[0050] The polarization coupling device and / or the wavelength coupling device may be made of quartz glass. The polarization coupling device and / or the wavelength coupling device may have an antireflective coating for a specific wavelength of the laser beams from the laser emitter devices. The antireflective coating may be suitable for reducing the reflectance of the laser beams at interfaces of the polarization coupling device and / or the wavelength coupling device.

[0051] The laser emitter arrays can be arranged on the flat surface section of the base plate, forming a first laser emitter array and a second laser emitter array. The first and second laser emitter arrays can be aligned parallel to each other. The output laser beam can be generated by polarization coupling and / or wavelength coupling of the laser beams from the first laser emitter array with the laser beams from the second laser emitter array.

[0052] The polarization coupling device can include a polarizer and a delay plate in the form of an A / 2 plate. The laser beams from the laser emitters of the first laser emitter row and the laser beams from the laser emitters of the second laser emitter row can be linearly polarized. The polarization of the laser beams from the laser emitters of the first laser emitter row and the polarization of the laser beams from the laser emitters of the second laser emitter row can be aligned before passing through the polarization coupling device. The A / 2 plate can be arranged such that the laser beams from the laser emitters of the first laser emitter row pass through the A / 2 plate. The A / 2 plate can be configured to rotate the polarization of the laser beams from the laser emitters of the first laser emitter row by 90°.The polarization of the laser beams from the laser emitters of the first laser emitter row can be aligned orthogonally to the polarization of the laser beams from the laser emitters of the second laser emitter row after passing through the A / 2 plate. The polarizer can be configured to transmit the polarization of the laser beams from the laser emitters of the second laser emitter row and to reflect the polarization of the laser beams from the laser emitters of the first laser emitter row. The output laser beam can be formed by spatially superimposing the laser beams from the laser emitters of the first laser emitter row with the laser beams from the laser emitters of the second laser emitter row using the polarizer.

[0053] For wavelength coupling, the laser beams from the laser emitters of the first laser emitter row can have a different wavelength than the laser beams from the laser emitters of the second laser emitter row. For example, the difference between the wavelengths of the laser beams from the first laser emitter row and those of the second laser emitter row can be 3 nm (nanometers) to 25 nm, particularly 5 nm to 15 nm. The wavelength coupling device can, for example, include a mirror that is transmissive for the wavelengths of the laser beams from the second laser emitter row and reflective for the wavelengths of the laser beams from the first laser emitter row.The output laser beam can be formed by spatially superimposing the laser beams of the laser emitter devices of the first laser emitter row with the laser beams of the laser emitter devices of the second laser emitter row using the mirror.

[0054] The output laser beam can be configured such that the laser beams from the first laser emitter row and the laser beams from the second laser emitter row are arranged alternately at the output. Alternatively, the output laser beam can be formed by the superimposed laser beams of the first and second laser emitter rows.

[0055] The laser emitter assembly may include a focusing device, for example in the form of a focusing lens, for focusing the output laser beam onto the output. The focusing lens may be designed as an aspherical lens. The focusing lens may be made of quartz glass. The focusing lens may have an antireflective coating for a wavelength of the laser beams from the laser emitter assembly. The antireflective coating may be suitable for reducing the reflectance of the laser beams at interfaces of the focusing lens. The focusing lens may be radially symmetrical. However, it may also have, and in particular be formed by, two cylindrical lenses perpendicular to each other and possibly cemented or bonded together.

[0056] The output can be located in a focal plane of the focusing device. The output can be positioned downstream of the focusing device in the propagation direction of the laser beams. The output diameter can be limited by a maximum focus diameter of the focusing device in the focal plane. The maximum focus diameter can depend on the apertures of the emitters. The laser emitter assembly can have a waveguide receptacle for a waveguide. The waveguide receptacle can be located at an opening in the housing of the laser emitter assembly. The housing can have an interior space in which the laser emitter devices and / or the deflecting mirrors are located. A waveguide can be received by the waveguide receptacle. The waveguide can be received by the waveguide receptacle such that an end face of the waveguide is located at the output.The output laser beam can be generated from the laser beams and focused onto the end face of the waveguide by means of the focusing device. By focusing the output laser beam onto the end face of the waveguide, the output laser beam can be coupled into the waveguide. The end face can have an antireflective coating that is particularly low-reflective for a specific wavelength of the laser beams.

[0057] Alternatively, the output can be an opening in the housing of the laser emitter assembly. The housing can have an interior containing the laser emitter devices and / or the deflecting mirrors. The output laser beam can be formed from the laser beams and focused onto the opening by the focusing device. The output laser beam can be guided through the opening by the focusing device. Alternatively, the output laser beam can pass through the opening and only then enter the focusing device if the focusing device is located outside the housing of the laser emitter assembly. A sealing element, for example, in the form of a transparent protective glass, which transmits the wavelength of the laser beams, can be located in or adjacent to the opening to largely prevent unwanted foreign particles from entering the interior of the housing.

[0058] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, every concave path along the X-direction of the deflecting mirror has at least one parabolic section. Advantageously, this makes collimating each laser beam particularly easy.

[0059] Preferably, any concave profile along the X-direction of the deflecting mirror can be parabolic. Each mirror can be configured as an off-axis parapole mirror in the X-direction. An off-axis parapole mirror can be understood to be a lateral portion of a parapole mirror. A parapole mirror can be understood to be a concave mirror in the shape of a paraboloid of revolution. In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, the concave profile along the X-direction of the deflecting mirror has at least one section that is not parabolic in order to reduce aberrations. Advantageously, this allows aberrations to be reduced or completely avoided.

[0060] The non-parabolic section can border the parabolic section. The non-parabolic section can surround the parabolic section.

[0061] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, each mirror surface has a straight path along a Y-direction of the deflecting mirror that is orthogonal to the X-direction. This allows each deflecting mirror to act as a planar mirror in the Y-direction. In other words, each laser beam can be deflected in the fast-axis direction as if by a planar mirror, so that the deflection angle of the laser beam is preserved after reflection from the deflecting mirror.

[0062] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, each deflecting mirror is arranged such that the off-axis angle of the laser beam of the laser emitter device associated with the deflecting mirror has a value in the range of 80° to 100°, in particular 85° to 95°, preferably 87.5° to 92.5°. Advantageously, this allows a particularly compact laser emitter arrangement to be achieved.

[0063] Preferably, each deflecting mirror can be arranged such that the off-axis angle of the laser beam of the laser emitter device associated with the deflecting mirror is 90°.

[0064] For each deflecting mirror, the propagation direction of the laser beam before it hits the deflecting mirror and the propagation direction of the laser beam after it hits the deflecting mirror can define the off-axis angle between them.

[0065] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, each mirror surface is bounded by an edge of the deflecting mirror that has an oblique orientation with respect to the X-direction. Advantageously, this allows the laser beams to be deflected, which, before striking the deflecting mirror, propagate along directions of direction that are oblique to the base plate, in particular oblique to the flat surface section. Due to the oblique edge, at least one deflecting mirror can be configured to deflect the laser beam of the laser emitter associated with the deflecting mirror such that the deflected laser beam passes by an oblique edge of another deflecting mirror.

[0066] The term "oblique" cannot be understood to mean parallel and / or non-orthogonal.

[0067] Any sloping edge can have a sloping course in relation to the base plate, especially the flat surface section.

[0068] Each sloping edge can have an edge angle with respect to the X-direction, the base plate, or the flat surface section. The edge angle can have a value in the range of 0.5° to 20°, in particular 0.5° to 10°, 1° to 5°, or 2° to 4°.

[0069] Any mirror surface can have a wedge shape, particularly when viewed orthogonally to the X and Y directions. Specifically, if each laser beam propagates along a direction of propagation that is oblique to the base plate, and especially oblique to the flat surface section, before striking the deflecting mirror, the mirror surface can have a wedge shape, particularly when viewed orthogonally to the X and Y directions.

[0070] In each deflecting mirror, the edge with the oblique profile can define a side surface of the deflecting mirror that faces away from the base plate.

[0071] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, each mirror surface is bounded by another edge of the deflecting mirror, which has an oblique orientation with respect to the X-direction. Advantageously, this allows the deflecting mirrors to be manufactured particularly cost-effectively.

[0072] The slanted edge and the other slanted edge can run parallel to each other.

[0073] Each mirror surface can have a parallelogram-shaped, particularly rhombic, form, especially when viewed orthogonally to the X and Y directions. In particular, if each laser beam propagates along a direction of propagation that is oblique to the base plate, especially oblique to the flat surface section, before striking the deflecting mirror, the mirror surface can have a parallelogram-shaped form, especially when viewed orthogonally to the X and Y directions.

[0074] If each mirror surface, particularly when viewed orthogonally to the X and Y directions, has a parallelogram shape, then a wedge-shaped element can be arranged between each deflecting mirror and the base plate. The deflecting mirror is placed on this wedge-shaped element. The wedge-shaped element can be positioned and attached to the flat surface section. The deflecting mirror can be positioned and attached to the wedge-shaped element. The wedge-shaped element can compensate for the sloping profile of the other sloping edge and the flat surface section. The wedge-shaped element can be made of the same material as the base plate.

[0075] Alternatively, the base plate can have at least one contact surface for arranging the deflecting mirrors. The contact surface can be a flat surface. The contact surface can be inclined relative to the base plate. In particular, the contact surface and the base plate can define an angle between them that is equal to the edge angle. The contact surface can also be referred to as the contact plane. The contact surface can be a section of a surface of the base plate.

[0076] The deflecting mirrors can be arranged on the base plate in at least one row. The base plate can have one, and in particular a single, contact surface for each row of deflecting mirrors. In other words, each row of deflecting mirrors can be arranged and / or attached to a continuous contact surface.

[0077] The base plate may have a recess that forms the contact surface. The recess may have a triangular cross-section. The recess may be produced by milling the base plate, wherein the axis of rotation of a milling head is oriented at an angle other than 90° to the base plate during the milling process.

[0078] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, the angle between the edge and the X-direction and the angle between the other edge and the X-direction are of the same magnitude for each deflecting mirror. Advantageously, this reduces waste or cutting material when manufacturing the deflecting mirrors by cutting a mirror, thus further reducing costs.

[0079] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, each laser beam propagates along a specific direction after passing through the fast-axis collimator lens and before striking the deflecting mirror. The propagation direction and a Y-direction of the deflecting mirror that is orthogonal to the X-direction define an angle between them that is not equal to 90°. This allows each propagation direction to exhibit an oblique path relative to the base plate, particularly the flat surface section, before striking the deflecting mirror. Due to these oblique propagation paths, a particularly clear and simple design of the laser emitter arrangement can be achieved.

[0080] Preferably, any angle between the direction of propagation before impact on the deflecting mirror and the Y-direction can have a value greater than 80°, in particular 85°, and less than 90° or a value greater than 90° and less than 100°, in particular 95°.

[0081] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, the laser emitter arrangement includes an optical device positioned between the output and the plurality of laser emitters. Each laser beam propagates along a specific direction. The optical device is arranged such that the laser beams pass through it to change their propagation direction. Advantageously, the optical device enables a particularly simple and compact change in the propagation direction.

[0082] The optical device can be transparent to one wavelength of the laser beams. The optical device can be made of quartz glass. The optical device can have a refractive index that differs from that of its surroundings. For example, the optical device can have a higher refractive index than the surroundings.

[0083] The optical device can be designed as a deflecting prism. The optical device can be arranged and attached to the base plate, particularly to the flat surface section. The optical device can have a flat entrance surface. The flat entrance surface can form a phase boundary for the laser beams. The flat entrance surface can have an antireflective coating for a specific wavelength of the laser beams from the laser emitter devices. The antireflective coating can be designed to reduce the reflectance of a laser beam at the flat entrance surface.

[0084] Each laser beam can be directed towards the flat entry surface for the purpose of passing through the optical device. Each laser beam can strike the flat entry surface and propagate within the optical device. Each laser beam can exit the optical device through an exit surface, particularly after passing through the optical device.

[0085] The optical device can be configured to change the propagation directions such that each propagation direction, after passing through the optical device, is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the emitters of the laser emitter devices. The optical device can be configured to change the propagation directions of the laser beams, in particular only in the fast-axis direction. The optical device can be configured to change all propagation directions of the laser beams by the same deflection angle. Each deflection angle can be from 0.5° to 20°, in particular from 0.5° to 10°, 1° to 5°, or 2° to 4°.

[0086] The optical device can be configured to change the direction of propagation of the laser beams by refraction. The optical device can be wedge-shaped and / or configured as an optical wedge. In particular, the flat entrance surface can define a wedge angle. The wedge angle can be from 0.5° to 20°, in particular from 0.5° to 10°, 1° to 5°, or 2° to 4°.

[0087] The optical device can be arranged on the polarization coupling device and / or on the wavelength coupling device. The optical device can be arranged on the polarization coupling device, forming a contact between the optical device and the polarization coupling device. Additionally or alternatively, the optical device can be arranged on the wavelength coupling device, forming a contact between the optical device and the wavelength coupling device. The optical device and the polarization coupling device and / or the wavelength coupling device can be made of a single material.

[0088] The optical device can be metallurgically bonded to a polarizer of the polarization coupling device and / or a mirror of the wavelength coupling device to form a coupling module. The coupling module can be designed as a single component, in particular a single component.

[0089] In a further development of the laser emitter arrangement, the laser emitters are arranged relative to each other such that the laser beams travel different propagation distances from the laser emitters generating the beams to the output. The output laser beam is formed from the laser beams depending on the propagation distances from the laser emitters to the output. Advantageously, an intensity profile of the output laser beam can be set by appropriately selecting the propagation distances. The propagation distances can be particularly easy to control and / or adjust. This can simplify the manufacturing and / or assembly of the laser emitter arrangement.

[0090] The output laser beam can be formed from the laser beams depending on the length of the propagation paths from the laser emitter devices to the output. In other words, the dependence of the propagation paths over which the output laser beam is formed from the laser beams can be a dependence of the lengths of the propagation paths.

[0091] Due to the dependence of the output laser beam on the propagation distances from the laser emitter devices to the output, the output laser beam can be determined, influenced and / or shaped by the length of the propagation distances.

[0092] The dependence of the output laser beam on the propagation distances from the laser emitters to the output can be observed, for example, if the output laser beam changes when the propagation distances from the laser emitters to the output are hypothetically lengthened or shortened. This change in the output laser beam could, for instance, be a change in its intensity profile. The intensity profile of the output laser beam can be determined by the propagation distances from the laser emitters to the output.

[0093] The laser emitters can be arranged such that the propagation paths of the laser beams from the emitters to the output differ. For example, the emitters can be spaced apart from each other. Due to this spacing, the propagation paths of the laser beams from the emitters to the output can differ. In other words, the propagation paths of the laser beams from the emitters to the output can depend on the distances between the emitters. For example, the propagation paths of the laser beams from the emitters to the output can change with a hypothetical change in the distances between the emitters.

[0094] The arrangement of the laser beams in a cross-section of the output laser beam can depend on the propagation paths of the laser beams from the laser emitters to the output. In particular, the positions of the laser beams in the cross-section of the output laser beam can be determined by the propagation paths from the laser emitters to the output.

[0095] The propagation paths, in particular the lengths of the propagation paths, of the laser beams from the laser emitter devices to the output can be selected such that the laser beams are arranged at an equal distance from each other in the cross-section of the output laser beam. The laser beams can overlap, at least partially, in the cross-section of the output laser beam.

[0096] The laser beams can be arranged in a cross-section of the output laser beam to form a laser beam array. The laser beam array can be formed depending on the propagation distances of the laser beams from the laser emitter devices to the output.

[0097] At the output, in a cross-section of the output laser beam, the distance between two adjacent laser beams in the fast-axis direction can depend on the propagation distances from the laser emitters to the output. In other words, the distance between two adjacent laser beams in the fast-axis direction can be proportional to, for example, the difference in the propagation distances of the two adjacent laser beams from the laser emitters to the output.

[0098] Each laser emitter can be positioned at a specific location on the flat surface. These positions can differ from one another. The output laser beam can be formed from the laser beams of the individual laser emitters, depending on their positions on the flat surface. Advantageously, by positioning the laser emitters at different locations on the flat surface, propagation paths of varying lengths can be easily achieved. The distances between the positions can be equal.

[0099] A method according to the invention serves to provide an output laser beam at an output of a laser emitter arrangement. The method comprises: generating a plurality of laser beams by means of a plurality of laser emitter devices of the laser emitter arrangement; collimating each laser beam in a fast-axis direction of the laser beam; reflecting each laser beam; collimating each laser beam in a slow-axis direction of the laser beam, wherein the reflection of each laser beam and the collimation of each laser beam in the slow-axis direction are carried out simultaneously by means of a deflecting mirror; and forming the output laser beam from the laser beams of the laser emitter devices.

[0100] The laser emitter arrangement described above can be configured to perform the method. In particular, the method can be configured to operate the laser emitter arrangement described above. The description of the laser emitter arrangement given above can apply to identical or functionally equivalent features of the method and / or vice versa.

[0101] In a further development of the method, each laser beam travels a propagation path from the laser emitter generating the laser beam to the output of the laser emitter arrangement. The formation of the output laser beam from the laser beams of the laser emitters depends on the propagation paths from the laser emitters to the output. Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the figures, their description, and the claims. All features disclosed in the figures, their description, and the claims can be essential to the invention, both individually and in any combination.

[0102] They show:

[0103] Fig. 1 shows a schematic top view of a laser emitter arrangement,

[0104] Fig. 2 shows a schematic oblique view of a laser emitter device.

[0105] Laser emitter arrangement of Fig. 1 without fast-axis collimator lens,

[0106] Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the laser emitter device of Fig. 3 with fast-axis collimator lens,

[0107] Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of a deflection mirror of the laser emitter-

[0108] Arrangement of Fig. 1 ,

[0109] Fig. 5 a) to f) schematic representations of different design variants of the deflecting mirrors of the laser emitter arrangement of Fig. 1 ,

[0110] Fig. 6 shows a graph to illustrate imaging errors of an X-

[0111] direction of parabolically shaped deflecting mirror,

[0112] Fig. 7 shows a calculated near-field intensity profile of a laser beam for

[0113] Illustration of imaging errors of the deflecting mirror shaped parabolically in the X direction,

[0114] Fig. 8 shows a schematic representation of another embodiment of the

[0115] Deflection mirror of the laser emitter arrangement of Fig. 1 ,

[0116] Fig. 9 shows a schematic oblique view of a coupling module of the

[0117] Laser emitter arrangement of Fig. 1,

[0118] Fig. 10 is a schematic representation of the coupling module from Fig. 9.

[0119] Fig. 11 shows a schematic representation of a section of a cross-section of an output laser beam provided by the laser emitter arrangement of Fig. 1, and Fig. 12 shows a schematic top view of another embodiment of the laser emitter arrangement of Fig. 1.

[0120] Fig. 1 shows a laser emitter arrangement 10. The laser emitter arrangement 10 is configured to provide an output laser beam at an output 12 of the laser emitter arrangement 10.

[0121] The laser emitter arrangement 10 has a plurality of identical laser emitter devices 14 and a base plate 16.

[0122] The base plate 16 is cuboid in shape. The height of the base plate is less than its width 20 and length 22.

[0123] The base plate 16 is designed to be attached to an object, for example, an optical table and / or a housing part of an enclosing housing for the laser emitter arrangement 10. The base plate 16 has a number of through holes 24 for attaching the base plate 16 to the object. For example, the base plate 16 can be attached to the object by means of a screw connection, with the screws of the screw connection passing through the through holes 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the base plate 16 has six through holes 24. However, a base plate with a smaller or larger number of through holes 24 is also conceivable.

[0124] The base plate 16 has a flat surface section 26. The flat surface section 26 is a continuous and uninterrupted surface section. The flat surface section 26 forms a single plane of the base plate 16. The flat surface section 26 is a surface of the base plate 16.

[0125] The laser emitter units 14 are arranged on the flat surface section 26 and attached to the base plate 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the laser emitter assembly 10 has a total of 28 laser emitter units 14. However, a laser emitter assembly with a smaller or larger number of laser emitter units is also conceivable. In embodiments not specifically shown, for example, there are only eight laser emitter units or up to 46 laser emitter units. Figure 2 shows a single laser emitter unit 14 of the laser emitter assembly 10. Each laser emitter unit 14 has an emitter 28 made of a semiconductor laser material.

[0126] Fig. 2 shows that the laser emitter device 14 has a single emitter 28. The emitter 28 extends along a longitudinal axis 32. The emitter 28 is configured to generate a laser beam 34. Thus, the laser emitter device 14 is configured to generate the laser beam 34. The longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28 is aligned parallel to the flat surface section 26.

[0127] In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 2, the emitter 28 emits the laser beam 34. The laser beam 34 propagates along its propagation direction 36. The propagation direction 36 and the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28 are aligned parallel to each other. In particular, the propagation direction 36 and the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28 can have the same orientation.

[0128] The laser beam 34 emerging from the emitter 28 defines a fast-axis direction 38 and a slow-axis direction 40, which are orthogonal to each other. When the laser beam 34 emerges from the emitter 28, it propagates along its propagation direction 36, with the diameter 42 of the laser beam 34 increasing more sharply in the fast-axis direction 38 than the diameter 44 of the laser beam 34 in the slow-axis direction 40. Consequently, the laser beam 34 has an elliptical cross-section after emerging from the emitter 28.

[0129] The emitter 28 is arranged on and held by a mounting plate 46 of the laser emitter assembly 14. The mounting plate 46 contacts the emitter 28 at a planar interface that is orthogonal to the fast-axis direction 38. The planar interface is aligned parallel to the planar surface section 26.

[0130] Fig. 3 shows the laser emitter assembly 14 from Fig. 2 and a fast-axis collimator lens 30 of the laser emitter assembly 10. A fast-axis collimator lens 30 of the laser emitter assembly 10 is attached to each laser emitter assembly 14. Thus, each fast-axis collimator lens 30 of the laser emitter assembly 10 is assigned to one laser emitter assembly 14. The number of fast-axis collimator lenses 30 is equal to the number of laser emitter assemblies 14.

[0131] The laser emitter assembly 14 is attached to the base plate 16. The laser emitter assembly 14 is attached to the base plate 16 by means of a connection between the base plate 16 and the mounting plate 46. In this case, the connection is, for example, a soldered connection.

[0132] The soldered connection has a thermal conductivity of at least 35 watts / (meter*Kelvin). Heat generated during the production of the laser beam 34 in the emitter 28 is dissipated from the emitter 28 by means of the mounting plate 46 and the base plate 16.

[0133] The fast-axis collimator lens 30 is configured to collimate the laser beam 34 in the fast-axis direction 38. In other words, the laser beam 34, which leaves or is emitted from the fast-axis collimator lens 30, is collimated in the fast-axis direction 38.

[0134] The fast-axis collimator lens 30 is an aspherical cylindrical lens made of quartz glass, in this case, quartz glass with a particularly high refractive index. The fast-axis collimator lens 30 has an antireflective coating that reduces the proportion of reflected light to a relative minimum for a specific wavelength of the laser beam 34. This antireflective coating reduces the reflectance of the laser beam 34 at the interfaces of the fast-axis collimator lens 30.

[0135] Fig. 3 shows that the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is attached to the mounting plate 46, in this example, by means of an adhesive bond. The adhesive bond is made using a UV adhesive. The UV adhesive is an adhesive that can be cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

[0136] The fast-axis collimator lens 30 is positioned relative to the emitter 28 such that the emission direction 48, in which the laser beam 34 leaves the fast-axis collimator lens 30, is oblique with respect to the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28. In other words, due to the positioning of the fast-axis collimator lens 30 relative to the emitter 28, the laser beam 34 propagates in the emission direction 48, which is oblique to the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28. Because of this oblique orientation, the emission direction 48 is not parallel to the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28.

[0137] The fast-axis collimator lens 30 can define a lens plane 50 and an optical plane 52. The lens plane 50 is the plane in which the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is located. A focal point of the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is located a distance from the lens plane 50 equal to the focal length of the fast-axis collimator lens 30. The optical plane 52 of the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is oriented perpendicular to the lens plane 50. The optical plane 52 of the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is a mirror symmetry plane of the fast-axis collimator lens 30. A laser beam passing through the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is refracted by the fast-axis collimator lens 30 in the direction of the optical plane 52.

[0138] The optical plane 52 intersects the lens plane 50 in a central axis 54 of the fast-axis collimator lens 30.

[0139] The fast-axis collimator lens 30 is positioned relative to the emitter 28 such that the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28 and the optical plane 52 of the fast-axis collimator lens 30 have different orientations for the purpose of emitting the laser beam 34 in the emission direction 48. In other words, the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is arranged such that the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28 does not lie within the optical plane 52.

[0140] The fast-axis collimator lens 30 is arranged with a transverse offset 56 in the fast-axis direction 38 relative to the emitter 28. The transverse offset 56 is a distance between the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28 and the central axis 54 of the fast-axis collimator lens 30. A distance between the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28 and the flat surface section 26 is smaller than a distance between the central axis 54 of the fast-axis collimator lens 30 and the flat surface section 26.

[0141] Additionally, the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is tilted by a tilt angle 58 relative to the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28. The optical plane 52 of the fast-axis collimator lens 30 and the longitudinal axis 32 of the emitter 28 define the tilt angle 58 between them. In the illustrated embodiment, the tilt angle 58 is 3°.

[0142] Due to the transverse offset 56 and the tilt angle 58, the laser beam 34 generated by the emitter 28 is deflected away from the flat surface section 26 in the fast-axis direction 38 by the fast-axis collimator lens 30. Due to the transverse offset 56 and the tilt angle 58 of the fast-axis collimator lens 30, the laser beam 34 is emitted from the fast-axis collimator lens 30 in the emission direction 48, which is obliquely aligned with the flat surface section 26. The emission direction 48 and the flat surface section 26 define a beam angle 60 between them. In the illustrated embodiment, the beam angle is 604°.

[0143] The radiation direction 48 is directed away from the planar surface section 26. The radiation direction 48 can be decomposed into a directional component parallel to the planar surface section 26 and a directional component perpendicular to the planar surface section 26. The directional component perpendicular to the planar surface section 26 is directed away from the planar surface section 26.

[0144] The propagation direction 36 of the laser beam 34 after exiting the fast-axis collimator lens 30 is equal to the emission direction 48. In other words, after exiting the fast-axis collimator lens 30, the laser beam 34 propagates along its propagation direction 36, which has an oblique path with respect to the flat surface section 26.

[0145] Due to the oblique propagation of the laser beam 34 along the emission direction 48, the distance 64 between the laser beam 34 and the flat surface section 26 depends on the propagation distance of the laser beam 34. A propagation distance can be understood as the distance traveled by the laser beam as it propagates in the direction of propagation 36.

[0146] The distance 64 is determined in a direction parallel to a perpendicular on the flat surface section 26 from the flat surface section 26 to the laser beam 34. The distance 64 can also be understood as the height at which the laser beam 34 is spaced from the flat surface section 26. Since the laser beam 34 propagates obliquely after the fast-axis collimator lens 30 with respect to the flat surface section 26, the distance 64 increases with increasing propagation distance of the laser beam 34 from the fast-axis collimator lens 30.

[0147] Fig. 1 shows that the laser emitter devices 14 are arranged on the flat surface section 26 such that the slow-axis directions 40 of the laser beams 34 are aligned parallel to the flat surface section 26. The emission directions 48 are aligned parallel to each other. The propagation directions 36 are aligned parallel to each other. The longitudinal axes 32 of the emitters 28 are aligned parallel to each other. Each laser beam 34 exits the fast-axis collimator lens 30 at an exit area 62, see Fig. 3. Each exit area 62, from which the laser beam 34 exits, is spaced a certain distance from the flat surface section 26. The distances of the exit areas 62 from the flat surface section 26 are equal in magnitude.

[0148] The laser emitter devices 14 are arranged on the flat surface section 26 of the base plate 16, forming a first laser emitter row 66 and a second laser emitter row 68. Each laser emitter row 66, 68 consists of 14 laser emitter devices 14.

[0149] The first laser emitter array 66 extends in direction 70. The direction 70 of the first laser emitter array 66 is parallel to the flat surface section 26. The second laser emitter array 68 extends in direction 72. The direction 72 of the second laser emitter array 68 is parallel to the flat surface section 26. The direction 70 of the first laser emitter array 66 is aligned parallel to the direction 72 of the second laser emitter array 68. The direction 70 of the first laser emitter array 66 and the direction 72 of the second laser emitter array 68 are parallel to each other.

[0150] Two adjacent laser emitter units 14 of the first laser emitter row 66 and two adjacent laser emitter units 14 of the second laser emitter row 68 are arranged at a distance 74 from each other on the flat surface section 26. The distances 74 between the laser emitter units 14 are equal.

[0151] The first laser emitter row 66 and the second laser emitter row 68 are aligned offset from each other. The first laser emitter row 66 and the second laser emitter row 68 are aligned offset from each other such that a laser beam 34 from a laser emitter unit 14 of the first laser emitter row 66 passes by the two adjacent laser emitter units 14 of the second laser emitter row 68 between two adjacent laser emitter units 14 of the second laser emitter row 68.

[0152] The laser emitter units 14 of the first laser emitter series 66 and the laser emitter units 14 of the second laser emitter series 68 are each arranged on the flat surface section 26 such that the exit regions 62 of the fast-axis collimator lenses 30 are arranged along a straight line. The two straight lines of the exit regions 62 are each parallel to each other and / or each parallel to the flat surface section 26. In the propagation direction 36 after the laser emitter units 14, a plurality of deflecting mirrors 76 of the laser emitter arrangement 10 are arranged on the flat surface section 26. The deflecting mirrors 76 are arranged on the flat surface section 26 such that the laser beam 34 is deflected by 90°.

[0153] The deflecting mirrors 76 are identical. The laser emitter arrangement 10 has a total of 28 deflecting mirrors 76. In this case, the number of deflecting mirrors 76 corresponds to the number of laser emitter units 14. Therefore, if fewer or more laser emitter units 14 are present in embodiments not specifically shown, the number of deflecting mirrors 76 will also change accordingly.

[0154] Accordingly, each deflecting mirror 76 is assigned to a laser emitter unit 14 of the laser emitter arrangement 10. Therefore, the number of deflecting mirrors 76 is equal to the number of laser emitter units 14.

[0155] Each deflecting mirror 76 is attached to the base plate 16, as shown here by way of an adhesive bond. The adhesive bond is made using a UV adhesive.

[0156] The deflecting mirrors 76 are arranged on the flat surface section 26, forming a first deflecting mirror row 78 and a second deflecting mirror row 80.

[0157] The first row of deflecting mirrors 78 extends in a direction 82. The direction 82 of the first row of deflecting mirrors 78 runs parallel to the planar surface section 26. The second row of deflecting mirrors 80 extends in a direction 84. The direction 84 of the second row of deflecting mirrors 80 runs parallel to the planar surface section 26. The direction 82 of the first row of deflecting mirrors 78 is aligned parallel to the direction 84 of the second row of deflecting mirrors 80.

[0158] The first row of deflecting mirrors 78 is assigned to the laser emitter units 14 of the first laser emitter row 66. The second row of deflecting mirrors 80 is assigned to the laser emitter units 14 of the second laser emitter row 68.

[0159] The first row of deflecting mirrors 78 and the second row of deflecting mirrors 80 are arranged offset from each other on the flat surface section 26. The first row of deflecting mirrors 78 and the second row of deflecting mirrors 80 are arranged offset from each other such that a laser beam 34 from a laser emitter device 14 of the second laser emitter row 68 is guided between two adjacent deflecting mirrors 76 of the first row of deflecting mirrors 78.

[0160] Fig. 4 schematically shows a deflecting mirror 76 of the laser emitter arrangement 10. Since the other deflecting mirrors 76 of the laser emitter arrangement 10 are identical in design, the description of one deflecting mirror 76 shown also applies to the other deflecting mirrors 76 of the laser emitter arrangement 10.

[0161] The deflecting mirror 76 has a mirror surface 86. The mirror surface 86 is designed to reflect the laser beam 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the deflecting mirror 76 is designed to reflect the laser beam 34 with a reflectance of over 98%. This allows the mirror surface 86 to deflect the laser beam 34.

[0162] The mirror surface 86 is formed from alternating, thin layers of different refractive indices. In other words, the deflecting mirror 76 is a Bragg mirror.

[0163] The mirror surface 86 extends along a straight X-direction of the deflecting mirror 76 and along a straight Y-direction of the deflecting mirror 76 that is orthogonal to the X-direction.

[0164] The mirror surface 86 is configured to collimate the laser beam 34 in the slow-axis direction 40. For collimating the laser beam 34 in the slow-axis direction 40, the mirror surface 86 has a concave profile along the X-direction. In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 4, the mirror surface 86 has a parabolic profile along the X-direction and a straight profile along the Y-direction. As a result, the deflecting mirror 76 acts as a plane mirror in the Y-direction and as a slow-axis collimation lens in the X-direction.

[0165] In Fig. 4, the principle of the deflecting mirror 76 is schematically illustrated on the left from the viewer's perspective. The parabolic shape of the mirror surface 86 along the X-direction follows a segment of a parabola 88. As a result, the deflecting mirror 76 acts in the X-direction like an off-axis parabolic mirror.

[0166] Each laser emitter assembly 14 has an exit aperture 90 for the emission of the generated laser beam 34 from the laser emitter assembly 14, see Figs. 2 and 4. Due to the parabolic shape of the mirror surface 86, the deflecting mirror 76 has an effective focal length 92. Each deflecting mirror 76 of the laser emitter assembly 10 is arranged relative to the laser emitter assemblies 14 on the planar surface section 26 such that the exit aperture 90 with the effective focal length 92 is spaced apart from the deflecting mirror 76. In particular, each exit aperture 90 is located at an effective focal point of the deflecting mirror 76 associated with the laser emitter assembly 14.

[0167] Figure 4 further shows that the laser beam 34 exits from the exit aperture 90 and is reflected at the mirror surface 86. The off-axis angle is 90°. Figure 1 shows that the deflecting mirrors 76 are arranged on the flat surface section 26 such that each off-axis angle is 90°.

[0168] Figures 5a) to 5f) show different embodiments of the deflecting mirror 76 from Figure 4. The same reference numerals are used for identical and functionally equivalent elements. In this respect, reference can be made to the previously given description, so that for each embodiment, only the differences will be discussed.

[0169] Fig. 5 a) shows a first embodiment of the deflecting mirror 76 with the viewing direction orthogonal to the X-direction and the Y-direction onto the mirror surface 86, and Fig. 5 b) shows an oblique view of the deflecting mirror 76 from Fig. 5 a). In particular, Fig. 5 a) shows that the mirror surface 86 has a rectangular shape when viewed orthogonally to the X- and Y-directions.

[0170] The mirror surface 86 of the deflecting mirror 76 of the first embodiment is bounded by four edges 96. Two opposite edges 96 are parallel to each other when viewed from the mirror surface. Two adjacent edges 96 are at a right angle to each other. Each edge 96 is straight when viewed from the mirror surface 86, perpendicular to both the X and Y directions.

[0171] Such a design of the deflecting mirror 76 is particularly suitable for laser emitter arrangements in which the deflecting mirrors are arranged at different heights on the base plate of the laser emitter arrangement.

[0172] Fig. 5 c) shows a second embodiment of the deflecting mirror 76 with the viewing direction orthogonal to the X-direction and the Y-direction onto the mirror surface 86, and Fig. 5 d) shows an oblique view of the deflecting mirror 76 from Fig. 5 c). In particular, Fig. 5 c) shows that one of the edges 96 bounding the mirror surface 86 has an oblique course with respect to the X-direction. The oblique edge 96 and the X-direction define an edge angle 98 between them. The edge angle 98 can have a value in the range of 0.5° to 20°, in particular 0.5° to 10°, 1° to 5°, or 2° to 4°. The edge angle 98 can satisfy the condition: a' = atan ^-^-j , where a is the radiation angle 60 and a' is the edge angle 98.

[0173] The deflecting mirror 76 has a wedge shape when viewed orthogonally to the X and Y directions on the mirror surface 86 (see Fig. 5 c). Fig. 5 d) shows that the oblique edge 96 bounds a side surface 100. The oblique edge 96 forms a corner of the deflecting mirror 76. The oblique edge 96 is a boundary between the mirror surface 86 and the side surface 100. In other words, the oblique edge 96 is located between the mirror surface 86 and the side surface 100.

[0174] Such a design of the deflecting mirror 76 is particularly suitable for laser emitter arrangements 10 in which the laser beams 34 propagate along an oblique propagation direction 36 with respect to the base plate 16 before hitting the deflecting mirrors 76.

[0175] Fig. 5 e) shows a third embodiment of the deflecting mirror 76 with a viewing direction orthogonal to the X-direction and the Y-direction onto the mirror surface 86 and Fig. 5 f) shows an oblique view of the deflecting mirror 76 from Fig. 5 e).

[0176] In particular, Fig. 5 e) shows that the mirror surface 86 is bounded by a further edge 102 of the deflecting mirror 76. The further edge 102 has an oblique course with respect to the X-direction. The oblique further edge 102 and the X-direction define an edge angle 104 between them. The edge angle 104 can have a value in the range of 0.5° to 20°, in particular 0.5° to 10°, 1° to 5° or 2° to 4°. The oblique edge 96 and the further oblique edge 104 are parallel to each other.

[0177] The deflecting mirror 76 has a parallelogram shape when viewed orthogonally to the X-direction and the Y-direction on the mirror surface 86 (see Fig. 5 e). Such a design of the deflecting mirror 76 is particularly suitable for laser emitter arrangements 10 in which the laser beams 34 propagate along an oblique direction 36 with respect to the base plate 16 before striking the deflecting mirrors 76. Optionally, in a deflecting mirror according to the third embodiment of Figs. 5 e) and 5 f), a wedge-shaped element can be arranged between the base plate and each deflecting mirror to compensate for the oblique course of the further edge 104 with respect to the base plate.

[0178] Regardless of whether the deflecting mirror 76 is designed according to the first, second, or third embodiment, the parabolic shape along the X-direction can lead to imaging errors. These imaging errors can occur particularly when the deflecting mirror 76 has a relatively long extension in the X-direction, for example, more than 5 mm, and is almost completely illuminated by the laser beam in the X-direction.

[0179] For example, Figure 6 shows a simulation result of the imaging errors. For the simulation, a point source is assumed at each of three different transverse positions of the exit aperture 90, each emitting a beam with a multitude of straight rays. Each beam is collimated in the fast-axis direction and diverges in the slow-axis direction. The three beams from the point sources are guided over a deflecting mirror with a parabolic path along the X-direction for the purpose of collimating them in the slow-axis direction and are focused by an aspherical lens after passing the deflecting mirror.

[0180] In Fig. 6, the cross-sections 108 of the three beams are shown in the focus formed by the spherical lens. Fig. 6 shows that the shape of the cross-sections 108 of the beams differs from one another due to aberrations. In particular, the cross-section 108 of the beam that is positioned on the right from the perspective of a viewer of Fig. 6 shows significant aberrations compared to the middle cross-section 108. The middle cross-section 108 shows the fewest aberrations compared to the other cross-sections 108.

[0181] Fig. 7 shows a calculated near-field intensity profile of a laser beam exiting aperture 90. The laser beam is collimated in the fast-axis direction and diverges in the slow-axis direction. The laser beam is guided by the deflecting mirror and the aspherical lens according to the simulation in Fig. 6. Fig. 7 shows a cross-section of the laser beam at the focus formed by the aspherical lens. It can be seen in Fig. 7 that, due to imaging errors, the right and left regions of the near-field intensity profile of the laser beam, as seen from the viewer's perspective, are not uniform.

[0182] To reduce or completely avoid imaging errors, the concave profile of each deflecting mirror 76 along the X-direction can be divided into three sections 110, 112, as shown in Fig. 8. Within two of the sections 110, the deflecting mirror 76 has a non-parabolic profile in the X-direction, and within one of the sections 112, the deflecting mirror 76 has a parabolic profile in the X-direction. Thus, the deflecting mirror 76 has two non-parabolic sections 110 with a parabolic section 112 positioned between them.

[0183] The mirror surface 86 has a concave profile within each non-parabolic section 110 in the X-direction for collimating the laser beam 34 and for reducing or avoiding aberrations. For reducing or avoiding aberrations, the concave profile within the non-parabolic section 110 deviates from a parabolic profile. The concave profile within the non-parabolic section 110 can be determined based on a parabolic profile and taking into account a correction factor for reducing or avoiding aberrations.

[0184] Fig. 8 shows that the two non-parabolic sections 110 each border the parabolic section 112. Each boundary between a non-parabolic section 110 and the parabolic section 112 runs parallel to the Y-direction.

[0185] Additionally, Fig. 8 shows a laser beam 34 (dashed line) guided over the deflecting mirror 76. It can be seen that the laser beam 34 is guided over the two non-parabolic sections 110 and the parabolic section 112. This avoids the uneven formation of the right and left regions in a near-field intensity profile of the laser beam, as shown, for example, in Fig. 7.

[0186] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the deflecting mirrors 76 of the laser emitter arrangement 10 are designed according to the second embodiment shown in Figs. 5 c) and 5 d). Additionally, each deflecting mirror 76 has the two non-parabolic sections 110 and the parabolic section 112 for reducing or avoiding imaging errors.

[0187] Fig. 1 shows that the deflecting mirrors 76 are arranged on the flat surface section 26 such that the angled edge 96 and the side surface 100 face away from the flat surface section 26. Each X-direction runs parallel to the base plate 16, in particular parallel to the flat surface section 26. Each Y-direction runs orthogonal to the base plate 16, in particular orthogonal to the flat surface section 26. Each mirror surface 86 is oriented perpendicular to the flat surface section 26.

[0188] Fig. 1 shows that each deflecting mirror 76 of a series of deflecting mirrors 78, 80, except for the deflecting mirror 76 of a series of deflecting mirrors 78, 80 located closest to the output 12, deflects the respective laser beam 34 such that the deflected laser beam 34 passes by the inclined edge 96 of another deflecting mirror 76 of the series of deflecting mirrors 78, 80. The further deflecting mirror 76 is arranged, particularly in the vertical direction, between the laser beam 34 deflected by the deflecting mirror 76 and the flat surface section 26.

[0189] The obliquely oriented emission direction 48 enables the use of identically designed deflecting mirrors 76. The deflecting mirrors 76 of a deflecting mirror series 78, 80 are spaced apart from each other in the direction 82, 84 of the deflecting mirror series 78, 80 such that the distances 64 between the laser beams 34 and the flat surface section 26 for a propagation distance equal to the distance between two adjacent deflecting mirrors 76 increase such that the laser beams 34 are guided past the deflecting mirrors 76 without grazing them.

[0190] Each deflecting mirror 76 is spaced 114 from the fast-axis collimator lens 30 associated with the deflecting mirror 76. The distances 114 between each deflecting mirror 76 and the laser emitter assembly 14 associated with the deflecting mirror 76 are equal.

[0191] Each deflecting mirror 76 is spaced 116 apart from the output 12. These 116 distances differ from one another. As a result, each laser beam 34 travels a different propagation path from the laser emitter assembly 14 to the output 12. Consequently, the distances 64 between the laser beams 34 and the flat surface section 26 in the output 12 differ from one another.

[0192] The propagation directions 36 of the laser beams 34 are aligned parallel to each other after deflection by means of the deflecting mirrors 76. The laser beams 34 of a laser emitter array 66, 68 are arranged one above the other in the fast-axis direction 38 after deflection by means of the deflecting mirrors 76. The deflecting mirrors 76 are configured to arrange the laser beams 34 of a laser emitter array 66, 68 one above the other such that the laser beams 34 of the laser emitter array 66, 68 are spaced equally apart from each other.

[0193] By means of the first row of deflecting mirrors 78, the laser beams 34 of the laser emitter units 14 of the first laser emitter row 66 are arranged one above the other in the fast-axis direction 38. The laser beams 34 of the laser emitter units 14 of the first laser emitter row 66 arranged one above the other in the fast-axis direction 38 form a first laser beam group 118. The first laser beam group 118 is shown in Fig. 1 with a dashed arrow.

[0194] By means of the second deflecting mirror row 80, the laser beams 34 of the laser emitter units 14 of the second laser emitter row 68 are arranged one above the other in the fast-axis direction 38. The laser beams 34 of the laser emitter units 14 of the second laser emitter row 68 arranged one above the other in the fast-axis direction 38 form a second laser beam group 120. The second laser beam group 120 is shown in Fig. 1 with a dashed arrow.

[0195] The two laser beam groups 118 and 120 propagate parallel to and offset from each other. The two laser beam groups 118 and 120 pass through a coupling module 122. The two laser beam groups 118 and 120 encounter the coupling module 122 at different points.

[0196] The coupling module 122 is arranged on the planar surface section 26 downstream of the deflecting mirrors 76 in the propagation direction 36. The coupling module 122 is positioned in the beam path of the laser beams 34 between the output 12 and the deflecting mirrors 78. In this example, the coupling module 122 is attached to the base plate 16 by means of an adhesive bond. The adhesive bond is made using a UV adhesive. The coupling module 122 is shown in more detail in Figures 9 and 10.

[0197] The coupling module 122 is made of quartz glass. The coupling module 122 is designed as a single component. The coupling module 122 has an optical device 124 and a wavelength coupling device 126.

[0198] The laser beams 34 pass through the optical device 124 for the purpose of changing their propagation directions 36. The optical device 124 is transparent to one wavelength of the laser beams 34. The optical device 124 acts as an optical wedge.

[0199] The optical device 124 is formed by a flat entrance surface 128 of the coupling module 122. The flat entrance surface 128 is oriented obliquely to the flat surface section 26. Each laser beam 34 strikes the flat entrance surface 128 at an angle of incidence 130°.

[0200] The angle of incidence 130° is defined by a perpendicular to the flat entry surface 128 and the propagation direction 36 of the laser beam 34. All angles of incidence 130° are the same.

[0201] The flat entrance surface 128 forms a phase boundary for the laser beams 34. The optical device 124 is configured to change each propagation direction 36 of the laser beams 34 in the near-axis direction 38 by refraction at the flat entrance surface 128. In other words, the optical device 124 is configured to change the propagation directions 36 of the laser beams 34 in the direction of the flat surface section 26 by refraction at the flat entrance surface 128. This deflects the laser beams 34 in the direction of the flat surface section 26 by means of the optical device 124.

[0202] The optical device 124 is configured to change each propagation direction 36 of the laser beams 34 by a deflection angle 132. Each deflection angle 132 is defined between the propagation direction 36 of the laser beam 34 before passing through the optical device 124 and the propagation direction 36 of the laser beam 34 after passing through the optical device 124. Each deflection angle 132 of the laser beams 34 and the emission angle 60 of the laser beams 34 are equal. Passing through the optical device 124 can be understood as passing through the flat entry surface 128. After passing through the optical device 124, each laser beam 34 propagates parallel to the flat surface section 26. In particular, after passing through the flat entry surface 164, the propagation directions 36 of the laser beams 34 are aligned parallel to the flat surface section 26.The optical device 124 thereby compensates for the oblique propagation directions 36 in relation to the flat surface section 26.

[0203] In the propagation direction 36 after the optical device 124, the distance 64 between the laser beam 34 and the flat surface section 26 is constant. In other words, once a laser beam 34 has passed through the optical device 124, the distance 64 between the laser beam 34 and the flat surface section 26 no longer changes depending on the propagation distance of the laser beam 34.

[0204] After passing through the optical device 124, the laser beams 34 pass through the wavelength coupling device 126.

[0205] The wavelength coupling device 126 has a first mirror 134 and a second mirror 136. The deflecting mirrors 76 of the second deflecting mirror row 80 deflect the second laser beam group 120 onto the first mirror 134. The deflecting mirrors 76 of the first deflecting mirror row 78 deflect the first laser beam group 180 onto the second mirror 136.

[0206] The laser beams 34 of the laser emitter devices 14 of the first laser emitter row 66 and the laser beams 34 of the laser emitter devices 14 of the second laser emitter row 68 have different wavelengths. For example, the wavelengths of the laser beams 34 of the first laser emitter row 66 and the wavelengths of the laser beams 34 of the second laser emitter row 68 can differ from each other by 3 nm to 25 nm.

[0207] The first mirror 134 is highly reflective for the wavelength of the second laser beam group 120. The first mirror 134 directs the second laser beam group 120 onto the second mirror 136. The second mirror 136 is transparent for the wavelength of the second laser beam group 120 and reflective for the wavelength of the first laser beam group 118. This causes the laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 to be spatially superimposed with the laser beams 34 of the second laser beam group 120 by means of the second mirror 136. This forms the output laser beam of the laser emitter device 10.

[0208] The output laser beam exits the coupling module 122.

[0209] In the propagation direction 36 after the coupling module 122, a focusing device 138 of the laser emitter arrangement 10 is arranged on the flat surface section 26. The focusing device 138 is attached to the base plate 16 by means of an adhesive bond. The adhesive bond is made using a UV adhesive.

[0210] The focusing device 138 is designed to focus the output laser beam onto the output 12. The focusing device 138 is a focusing lens made of quartz glass. The focusing device 138 has an antireflective coating for the wavelengths of the laser beams 34 from the laser emitter devices 14. The antireflective coating reduces the reflectance of the output laser beam at the interfaces of the focusing device 138.

[0211] The focusing device 138 is arranged on the flat surface section 26 such that the output 12 lies in a focal plane of the focusing device 138 in the direction of propagation of the output laser beam.

[0212] The focusing device 138 focuses the output laser beam onto the output 12 such that the output laser beam has a predetermined beam diameter and divergence at the output 12. In other words, the output laser beam exits the output with the predetermined beam diameter and divergence. In the illustrated embodiment, the predetermined beam diameter is 400 pm and the predetermined divergence is 40°.

[0213] Fig. 11 schematically shows a cross-section of the output laser beam 140 in the output 12. A beam profile of the output laser beam 140 is formed by the laser beams 34 arranged one above the other in the fast-axis direction 38. The laser beams 34 are arranged relative to each other in the cross-section to form a laser beam array 142. One direction 144 of the laser beam array 142 is oriented perpendicular to the flat surface section 26.

[0214] The laser beams 34 are arranged one above the other at an equal distance 146 in the fast-axis direction 38. Each distance 146 between two adjacent laser beams 34 depends on the propagation distances of the two adjacent laser beams 34 from the laser emitter devices 14 emitting the two adjacent laser beams 34 to the optical device 124.

[0215] For example, the distance 146 between the two adjacent laser beams 34 changes when the propagation path of one of the two adjacent laser beams 34 between the fast-axis collimator lens 30 and the optical device 124 is lengthened or shortened. The dependence of the output laser beam 140 on the propagation paths is achieved by the oblique orientation of the propagation directions 36 of the laser beams 34 with respect to the planar surface section 26.

[0216] Thus, the positions of the laser beams 34 in the cross-section of the output laser beam 140 are determined by the propagation distances from the laser emitter devices 14 to the output 12. In other words, the output laser beam 140 is formed as a function of the propagation distances from the laser emitter devices 14 to the output 12. This dependence on the propagation distances is a dependence on the lengths of the propagation paths.

[0217] The lengths of the propagation paths of the laser beams 34 depend on the arrangement of the laser emitter devices 14 on the flat surface section 26. Thus, the output laser beam 140 is formed from the laser beams 34 depending on the positions of the laser emitter devices 14 on the flat surface section 26.

[0218] For the sake of clarity, not all laser beams 34 of the laser emitter devices 14 are shown in Fig. 11. The laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 are shown with a solid line in Fig. 11, and the laser beams 34 of the second laser beam group 120 are shown with dashed lines in Fig. 11.

[0219] The output laser beam 140 is formed by wavelength coupling using the wavelength coupling device 126 such that a laser beam 34 of the second laser beam group 120 is arranged at the output 12 between two adjacent laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118. The laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 and the laser beams 34 of the second laser beam group 120 partially overlap. However, an embodiment in which the laser beams 34 do not overlap is also conceivable. The output laser beam 140 propagates parallel to the flat surface section 26.

[0220] In the illustrated embodiment, the laser emitter assembly 10 has a housing (not shown). The base plate 16 forms a side wall of the housing. The housing has an interior in which the laser emitter units 14, the deflecting mirrors 76, the coupling module 122, and the focusing device 138 are arranged. The output 12 is formed by an opening in the housing. The output laser beam 140 is focused onto the opening by means of the focusing device 138. The output laser beam 140 passes through the opening and exits the housing.

[0221] Fig. 12 shows a further embodiment of a laser emitter arrangement 10, wherein identical and functionally equivalent elements use the same reference numerals and in this respect reference can be made to the above explanations of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 11, so that essentially only the existing differences are discussed.

[0222] The laser beams 34 are linearly polarized. The linear polarizations of the laser beams 34 are aligned parallel to each other before passing through the coupling module 122. In other words, before passing through the coupling module 122, the polarization of all laser beams 34 is aligned in the same direction.

[0223] Instead of the wavelength coupling device 126, the coupling module 122 has a polarization coupling device 148 for forming the output laser beam 140 by polarization coupling using the polarization coupling device 148. The polarization coupling device 148 differs from the wavelength coupling device 126 in that a polarizer 150 is arranged instead of the second mirror 136 and the polarization coupling device 148 additionally has a delay plate 152.

[0224] The polarization coupling device 148 has the polarizer 150 and the delay plate 152 in the form of an A / 2 plate. The optical device 124 is metallurgically bonded to the polarizer 150 of the polarization coupling device 148 and the first mirror 134 to form the coupling module 122. The A / 2 plate 152 of the polarization coupling device 148 is separate from the coupling module 122. The polarization coupling device 148 is not designed as a single component. The polarizer 150, the first mirror 134, and the optical device 124 are designed as a single component.

[0225] The A / 2 plate 152 is arranged such that the laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 pass through the A / 2 plate 152. The A / 2 plate 152 is configured to rotate the polarization of the laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 by 90°. This ensures that the polarization of the laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 is orthogonal to the polarization of the second laser beam group 120.

[0226] After passing through the A / 2 plate 152, the laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 strike the polarizer 150. The polarizer 150 is configured to reflect or transmit the laser beams 34 depending on their polarization. In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 12, the polarizer 150 reflects the laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 due to the orientation of their polarization.

[0227] The second laser beam group 120, passing through the coupling module 122, encounters the first mirror 134. The second laser beam group 120 is deflected by 90° by the first mirror 134. By deflecting the second laser beam group 120 via the mirror 134, the second laser beam group 120 is directed towards the polarizer 150. In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 12, the polarizer 150 transmits the laser beams 34 of the second laser beam group 120 due to the alignment of their polarization.

[0228] The polarizer 150 spatially superimposes the laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 with the laser beams 34 of the second laser beam group 120 to form the output laser beam 140. In other words, the output laser beam 140 is formed by the polarizer 150 through the spatial superposition of the laser beams 34 of the first laser beam group 118 with the laser beams 34 of the second laser beam group 120.

[0229] The laser emitter assembly 10 of Fig. 12 has a waveguide receptacle (not shown) for receiving a waveguide 154 in the form of an optical fiber cable for guiding the output laser beam 140. The laser emitter assembly 10 can include the waveguide 154. The receptacle is arranged at an opening in the housing of the laser emitter assembly 10. The waveguide 154 is received by the receptacle. The waveguide 154 is received by the receptacle such that an end face 156 of the waveguide 154 is located at the output 12. The output laser beam 140 is focused onto the output 12 by means of the focusing device 138 such that the output laser beam 140 is coupled into the waveguide 154.

[0230] Thus, the output laser beam 140 is designed to be coupled into the waveguide 154 if the end face 156 of the waveguide 154 is arranged, in particular placed, at the output 12.

[0231] A method according to the invention is set up to operate one of the previously described laser emitter arrangements.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Laser emitter arrangement (10) for providing an output laser beam (34) at an output (12) of the laser emitter arrangement (10), comprising: a plurality of laser emitter devices (14), a plurality of fast-axis collimator lenses (30), and a plurality of deflecting mirrors (76), wherein each laser emitter device (14) is configured to generate a laser beam (34), wherein each fast-axis collimator lens (30) is associated with a laser emitter device (14) and is configured to collimate the laser beam (34) of the laser emitter device (14) associated with the fast-axis collimator lens (30) in its fast-axis direction (38), wherein each deflecting mirror (76) is associated with a laser emitter device (14) and has a mirror surface (86) wherein each mirror surface (86) is configured to deflect the laser beam (34) of the laser emitter device (14) associated with the deflecting mirror (76) and to collimate it in its slow-axis direction (40),wherein each mirror surface (86) along an X-direction of the deflecting mirror (76) has a concave profile for collimating the laser beam (34) in its slow-axis direction (40), wherein the output laser beam (34) is formed from the laser beams (34) of the laser emitter devices (14).

2. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to claim 1, wherein each concave profile along the X-direction of the deflecting mirror (76) has at least one parabolic section (112).

3. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each concave profile along the X-direction of the deflecting mirror (76) has at least one section (110) which is not parabolic for the purpose of reducing imaging errors.

4. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each mirror surface (86) has a straight course along a Y-direction orthogonal to the X-direction of the deflecting mirror (76).

5. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each deflecting mirror (76) is arranged such that an off-axis angle (94) of the laser beam (34) of the laser emitter device (14) associated with the deflecting mirror (76) has a value in the range of 80° to 100°, in particular 85° to 95°, preferably 87.5° to 92.5°.

6. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each mirror surface (86) is bounded by an edge (96) of the deflecting mirror (76) which has an oblique course with respect to the X direction.

7. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each mirror surface (86) is bounded by a further edge (102) of the deflecting mirror (76) which has an oblique course with respect to the X direction.

8. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to claims 6 and 7, wherein for each deflecting mirror (76) an angle (98) between the edge (96) and the X-direction and an angle (104) between the further edge (102) and the X-direction have the same magnitude.

9. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each laser beam (34) after passing the fast-axis collimator lens (30) and before striking the deflecting mirror (76) propagates along a propagation direction (36), wherein the propagation direction (36) and a Y-direction of the deflecting mirror (76) orthogonal to the X-direction define an angle between them which is not equal to 90°.

10. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the laser emitter arrangement (10) comprises an optical device (124) arranged between the output (12) and the plurality of laser emitter devices (14), wherein each laser beam (34) propagates along a propagation direction (36), wherein the optical device (124) is arranged such that the laser beams (34) pass through the optical device (124) for the purpose of changing the propagation directions (36).

11. Laser emitter arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the laser emitter devices (14) are arranged relative to each other such that the laser beams (34) travel different propagation distances from the laser emitter devices (14) generating the laser beams (34) to the output (12), wherein the output laser beam (34) is formed from the laser beams (34) depending on the propagation distances from the laser emitter devices (14) to the output (12).

12. Method for providing an output laser beam (34) at an output (12) of a laser emitter arrangement (10), the method comprising: Generating a plurality of laser beams (34) by means of a plurality of laser emitter devices (14) of the laser emitter arrangement (10), Collimating each laser beam (34) in a fast-axis direction (38) of the laser beam (34), Reflecting each laser beam (34), Collimating each laser beam (34) in a slow-axis direction (40) of the laser beam (34), wherein the reflection of each laser beam (34) and the collimation of each laser beam (34) in the slow-axis direction (40) are carried out simultaneously by means of a deflecting mirror (76), and Formation of the output laser beam (34) from the laser beams (34) of the laser emitter devices (14).

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein each laser beam (34) travels a propagation distance from the laser emitter device (14) generating the laser beam (34) to the output (12) of the laser emitter arrangement (10), wherein the formation of the output laser beam (34) from the laser beams (34) of the laser emitter devices (14) takes place depending on the propagation distances from the laser emitter devices (14) to the output (12).

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