Beam combiner for a multicolor laser display

• US 20080273568A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Schwarz, Thomas, Schulz, Roland
• Application Number:
  US12/150,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20080273568A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/50.23
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/104 for use with scanning systems scanning systems G02B26/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1086 operating by diffraction only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/123 The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/12 using beam-splitting or beam-combining systems, e.g. dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161

Abstract

A beam combiner is specified for a multicolor laser display having an optical light source (1) which has at least two semiconductor lasers (11, 13), in which the beam combiner has a lens (14), and the lens (14) is arranged in a beam path which is formed by beams emitted from the at least two semiconductor lasers (11, 13).

Claims

1. A beam combiner for a multicolor laser display, comprising an optical light source which has at least two semiconductor lasers with different wavelengths,

wherein the beam combiner has a lens, and

wherein the lens is arranged in a beam path which is formed by beams emitted from the at least two semiconductor lasers.

2. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the at least two semiconductor lasers have emission points which are at a distance of less than 500 μ

m from one another and/or from an optical axis of the lens.

3. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 2,

wherein

the at least two semiconductor lasers have emission points which are at a distance of less than 100 μ

m from one another and/or from an optical axis of the lens.

4. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the lens is arranged at a distance of 5 mm or less from the emission points of the semiconductor lasers.

5. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

a prism is arranged in the beam path downstream from the lens.

6. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

a birefringent plate is arranged in the beam path downstream from the lens.

7. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

a further lens is arranged in the beam path downstream from the lens.

8. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

a diffractive element is arranged in the beam path downstream from the lens.

9. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the lens is an achromatic lens.

10. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the lens has at least one free-form area.

11. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the lens is a diffractive optical element acting as a lens.

12. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 11,

wherein

the diffractive optical element has a plurality of optical axes, which are offset in the lateral direction with respect to one another, for the various wavelengths of the semiconductor lasers.

13. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 12,

wherein

the plurality of optical axes are offset in the lateral direction relative to one another such that the optical axis for one wavelength is in each case collinear with the emission direction of the semiconductor laser which emits this wavelength.

14. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the diffractive optical element has different optical axes, which are arranged at an angle to one another, for the various wavelengths of the semiconductor lasers.

15. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the at least two semiconductor lasers are arranged with mutually facing emission layers one above the other.

16. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the optical light source has three semiconductor lasers which are arranged with mutually facing emission layers in a triangle.

17. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the at least two semiconductor lasers are arranged alongside one another on a substrate.

18. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

an emission point of at least one of the semiconductor lasers is arranged offset with respect to the emission point of the at least one other semiconductor laser in a direction which runs parallel to an optical axis of the lens.

19. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

at least one of the semiconductor lasers is an edge-emitting laser diode.

20. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

at least two of the semiconductor lasers are monolithically integrated on a substrate.

21. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

at least one of the semiconductor lasers is a surface-emitting semiconductor laser.

22. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 21,

wherein

a spherical lens is arranged in the beam path of the surface-emitting semiconductor laser.

23. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

at least one of the semiconductor lasers is a frequency-doubled semiconductor laser.

24. The beam combiner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the beam combiner has drive electronics for the semiconductor lasers, by means of which the semiconductor lasers can be driven with a time offset in order to achieve at least partial beam coincidence.

25. A multicolor laser display comprising a beam combiner as claimed in claim 1.

26. The multicolor laser display as claimed in claim 25,

wherein

the laser display has a scanner mirror for deflection onto a screen of the laser beams which are emitted by the at least two semiconductor lasers.