Light engine systems and methods for combining low and high etendue light

A light engine for generating a combined light beam, comprising:

• a) a first light source having an emission surface and a first etendue and configured to emit a diverging first light beam;
• b) a collector optical system arranged to receive the diverging first light beam and form therefrom an expanded first light beam that travels over a first expanded optical path that includes a periphery;
• c) a second light source having a second etendue that is less than one tenth of the first etendue and that is configured to form second light;
• d) a light guide having a proximal end section in optical communication with the first light source and having a distal end section that enters the first expanded optical path through the periphery, the distal end section having an end face, the light guide configured to conduct the second light from the second light source and emit the second light from the end face as a second light beam that travels over a second optical path that resides within the periphery of the first expanded optical path of the first light beam without passing either the second light or the second light beam through an aperture in a light redirecting element;
• and
• e) an optical condenser configured to receive and direct the first light beam and the second light beam to a common exit plane to form the combined light beam.