Curved Relay Optics for Multi-Resonator Laser Fiber Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lamp-pumped laser systems face challenges in maintaining low Beam Parameter Product (BPP) due to thermal lensing effects, leading to reduced beam quality and alignment tolerances, especially at high pulse energies and frequencies.
Innovation Solution
A laser system comprising a plurality of resonators, a relay assembly with curved reflective surfaces, and a galvo with a curved or flat reflective surface to redirect and combine input laser beams, reducing beam size and spherical aberrations, and a coupling assembly to direct the combined beam into an optical fiber with a lower BPP than the fiber, thereby enhancing beam quality and alignment tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If lamp pumped laser systems are used to achieve high pulse energy and frequency, then power output is improved, but beam quality deteriorates due to thermal lensing effect
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the laser generation into multiple independent resonators (first, second, third resonators) that each produce separate laser beams. These segmented beams are then combined through optical paths to achieve high power output while maintaining beam quality, as each resonator operates independently without cumulative thermal lensing effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an optical system including curved reflective surfaces and relay assemblies as intermediaries to manipulate and combine laser beams from multiple resonators. These intermediary optical components facilitate the merging of multiple lower-power beams into a single high-power beam while preserving beam quality parameters.
2Ease of operation
If optics are used to direct input laser beam to optical fiber, then beam delivery is improved, but beam quality deteriorates and alignment tolerance reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved reflective surfaces (spherical mirrors) in the relay assembly and optical paths to manipulate laser beams. The curved geometry of these reflective surfaces is specifically designed to preserve beam quality during transmission and combining operations, avoiding the degradation that would occur with flat or irregular optical elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key optical parameters including beam size, curvature radius, and propagation distance to optimize beam quality. By adjusting the curvature radius of reflective surfaces and controlling beam propagation distances, the system maintains beam parameters that match fiber input requirements, thereby preserving alignment tolerance.
3Power
If multiple laser resonators are combined to increase power, then power output is improved, but beam quality control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple independent laser resonators that operate as separate units, each producing consistent beam quality. By segmenting the power generation across multiple resonators rather than relying on a single high-power resonator, the system achieves high total power while maintaining beam quality consistency through independent operation of each resonator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines laser beams from multiple resonators through carefully designed optical paths with curved reflective surfaces. The merging process is engineered to preserve the beam quality characteristics of individual resonators while achieving cumulative power output, using optical elements that maintain beam parameter consistency during the combination process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a maximum beam parameter product at least 10% less than the optical fiber's, improving beam quality and increasing alignment tolerances, making the laser system more reliable at high pulse energies and frequencies.
Implementation Method 1
a relay assembly including at least one curved reflective surface that redirects each input laser beam
Implementation Method 2
a coupling assembly that reduces spherical aberrations in the combined laser beam
Implementation Method 3
directs the combined laser beam into an optical fiber
Data Source
AI summary
Laser systems and methods are disclosed. One laser system comprises: a plurality of laser resonators, each resonator being operable to discharge an input laser beam; a relay assembly including at least one curved reflective surface that redirects each input laser beam, and reduces a beam size of the redirected beam; a galvo including a curved reflective surface that receives each redirected beam, and outputs a combined laser beam at power level greater than a power level of each laser input beam; and a coupling assembly that reduces spherical aberrations in the combined laser beam, and directs the combined laser beam into an optical fiber. In this system, the combined laser beam may have a maximum beam parameter product lower than a minimum beam parameter product of the optical fiber. Related systems and methods are also disclosed.