Optical cross-coupling mitigation system for multi-wavelength beam combining systems

• US 9,268,142 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeraDiode, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Chann, Bien, Huang, Robin, Tayebati, Parviz
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US14/746,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 245 Days
• Field of Search: 359/618, 359/299, 359/624, 359/245, 359/241, 359/244, 359/288, 359/305, 359/285, 359/308, 359311-312, 359290-292, 359/872, 359/263, 359223-224, 359/318, 359/649, 359/846, 359/129, 359/496, 359/631, 359/629, 359/634, 359/636, 359638-640, 359/831, 359833-834, 359/630, 359/341.3, 359/341.33, 359/337.21, 353/31, 353/34, 353/81, 451/28, 451/41, 372/25, 372/92, 372/98, 372/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0014 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0057 in the form of a laser diode array, e.g. laser diode bar semiconductor laser arrays with beam combining arrangement H01S5/4012
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0905 Dividing and/or superposing multiple light beams
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1006 for splitting or combining different wavelengths G02B27/1086, G02B27/141 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/18 Diffraction gratings holographic optical elements G02B5/32, G03H; integrally combined with optical fibres G02B6/02057; for coupling light guides G02B6/34; integrally combined with optical integrated light guides G02B6/12; grating systems G02B27/44
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/141 using a wavelength selective device, e.g. a grating or etalon H01S5/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4062 with an external cavity or using internal filters, e.g. Talbot filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4068 with lateral coupling by axially offset or by merging waveguides, e.g. Y-couplers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength

Abstract

A system and method for increasing efficiency and power output of a multi-wavelength beam combining system through providing a common output coupler to reflect feedback that stabilizes or individually seeds each emitter, and wherein the individual feedback is preserved by mitigating cross-coupling, wherein a multi-wavelength beam comprised of radiation having a plurality of wavelengths, high brightness and power.

Claims

1. A wavelength beam combining laser system comprising:

a plurality of beam emitters each emitting a beam;

a dispersive element for receiving and dispersing the beams;

a cross-coupling mitigation system for receiving and transmitting the dispersed beams while reducing cross-coupling thereof; and

a partially reflecting output coupler positioned to receive the beams transmitted by the cross-coupling mitigation system, transmit a first portion thereof as a multi-wavelength output beam, and reflect a second portion thereof back toward the cross-coupling mitigation system,

wherein the partially reflecting output coupler is disposed within a Rayleigh range of the beams transmitted by the cross-coupling mitigation system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cross-coupling mitigation system is afocal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cross-coupling mitigation system comprises an afocal telescope.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cross-coupling mitigation system comprises a first optical element having a first focal length and a second optical element having a second focal length, the first optical element being disposed optically upstream of the second optical element.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first focal length is at least two times greater than the second focal length.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first focal length is at least seven times greater than the second focal length.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein each of the first and second optical elements comprises a lens.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the first optical element is disposed within a Rayleigh range of the dispersed beams from the dispersive element.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the partially reflecting output coupler is disposed within a Rayleigh range of the beams transmitted by the second optical element.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein an optical distance between the first and second optical elements is approximately equal to a sum of the first and second focal lengths.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising focusing optics for receiving the beams emitted by the beam emitters and focusing the beams toward the dispersive element.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein an optical distance between the plurality of beam emitters and the focusing optics is approximately equal to a focal length of the focusing optics.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein an optical distance between the plurality of beam emitters and the focusing optics is greater than a focal length of the focusing optics.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispersive element comprises a diffraction grating.