Twin-Phosphor Polarized Light Source for High Brightness

The patent divides a single high-power laser source into multiple lower-power beams using beam splitting optics. These separated beams are then individually converted by separate phosphor elements before being recombined. This segmentation allows each phosphor element to operate at lower power levels, reducing thermal management complexity while achieving high overall brightness through the combination of multiple converted beams.

The patent introduces polarization optics and a reflective polarizer as intermediary elements between the laser source and phosphor converters. The beam splitter polarizes the incoming laser light, directing different polarization states to different phosphor elements. The reflective polarizer then recombines the converted beams. These intermediary optical elements enable complex beam manipulation without requiring direct mechanical or electrical complexity in the power source configuration.

The patent segments the total optical power into multiple lower-power beams that are distributed to separate phosphor conversion elements. Each element processes a fraction of the total power, preventing any single point from experiencing excessive power density and thermal loading. The thermal load is thus distributed across multiple elements rather than concentrated in one location.

The polarization optics and beam splitting optics act as intermediaries that distribute the high-power laser light into multiple lower-power channels. This optical distribution system enables the system to handle high total power while keeping the power density at each conversion point manageable, effectively using optical pathways to mediate thermal management.

The patent merges multiple separate optical pathways (beam splitting, individual phosphor conversions, polarization manipulation) into a single integrated system. The beam combiner/reflective polarizer merges the converted beams from multiple phosphor elements back into a single output beam. This merging allows the system to achieve high etendue (light-gathering capability) in a compact configuration by efficiently combining light from multiple sources into a unified output.

The patent utilizes the polarization dimension as an additional degree of freedom to manage light pathways. By encoding different beams with different polarization states and using polarization optics to manipulate and recombine them, the system achieves complex beam routing and combination in a compact space without requiring lengthy mechanical optical paths. This adds a dimensional layer to the optical design that enables compactness.