Beam diagnostics and feedback method and system for spectrally beam-combined lasers
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first plurality of lasers, including a first laser and a second laser, wherein each one of the first plurality of lasers generates an optical beam which has a different wavelength that is controllably tunable;
a first beam combiner that combines the optical beams of the first plurality of lasers into a combined beam that contains each of the different wavelengths from the first plurality of lasers;
a spectral-to-spatial wavelength-separation device, separate from the first beam combiner, that performs a spectral-to-spatial mapping of the different wavelengths of a portion of the combined beam to a first plurality of distinct spatial locations;
a detection element that detects optical power at each of the first plurality of distinct spatial locations, and that generates a signal based on the optical power at each of the first plurality of spatial locations; and
control electronics that maximizes the signal from each of the first plurality of spatial locations by tuning the wavelength of a corresponding one of the plurality of lasers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method for control of lasers (which use an array of optical gain fibers) in order to improve spectrally beam-combined (SBC) laser beam quality along the plane of the SBC fiber array via spectral-to-spatial mapping of a portion of the spectrally beam-combined laser beams, detection of optical power in each of the spatially dispersed beams and feedback control of the lasers for wavelength-drift correction. The apparatus includes a diffractive element; a source of a plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams directed from different angles to a single location on the diffractive element, wherein the diffractive element spectrally combines the plurality of light beams into a single beam. A controller adjusts characteristics of the light beams if one of the light beams has become misadjusted. In some embodiments, the controller adjusts the wavelength tuning of the respective fiber laser.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first plurality of lasers, including a first laser and a second laser, wherein each one of the first plurality of lasers generates an optical beam which has a different wavelength that is controllably tunable; a first beam combiner that combines the optical beams of the first plurality of lasers into a combined beam that contains each of the different wavelengths from the first plurality of lasers; a spectral-to-spatial wavelength-separation device, separate from the first beam combiner, that performs a spectral-to-spatial mapping of the different wavelengths of a portion of the combined beam to a first plurality of distinct spatial locations; a detection element that detects optical power at each of the first plurality of distinct spatial locations, and that generates a signal based on the optical power at each of the first plurality of spatial locations; and control electronics that maximizes the signal from each of the first plurality of spatial locations by tuning the wavelength of a corresponding one of the plurality of lasers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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generating a first plurality of laser beams, each of which has a different wavelength that is controllably tunable, including a first laser beam and a second laser beam; first-beam combining the first plurality of laser beams into a first combined beam that contains each of the different wavelengths from the first plurality of laser beams; spectral-to-spatial mapping a portion of the first combined beam to a first plurality of distinct spatial locations; detecting optical power at each of the first plurality of distinct spatial locations, and generating a signal based on the optical power at each of the first plurality of spatial locations; and maximizing the signal from each of the first plurality of spatial locations by tuning the wavelength of a corresponding one of the plurality of lasers. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a first plurality of laser beams, each of which has a different wavelength that is controllably tunable, including a first laser beam and a second laser beam; first means for beam combining the first plurality of laser beams into a first combined beam that contains each of the different wavelengths from the first plurality of laser beams; means for spectral-to-spatial mapping a portion of the first combined beam to a first plurality of distinct spatial locations; means for detecting optical power at each of the first plurality of distinct spatial locations, and generating a signal based on the optical power at each of the first plurality of spatial locations; and means for maximizing the signal from each of the first plurality of spatial locations by tuning the wavelength of a corresponding one of the plurality of lasers. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification