High brightness laser diode coupling to multimode optical fibers

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein at least one of said plurality of microlenses is a first cylindrical lens.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said first cylindrical lens is formed from a multimode optical fiber.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein at least one of said plurality of microlenses is selected to have a length substantially equal to the width of a row of stripes in said diode laser bar assembly.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said plurality of microlenses are configured to collimate light from a fast plane of the stripes in a column in said diode laser bar assembly.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said imaging system includes a second cylindrical lens.

A coupling system for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said second cylindrical lens is formed with a height substantially equal to a column of stripes in said diode laser bar assembly.

A coupling system for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said imaging system is configured to image light from the slow planes for the columns of stripes in said diode laser bar assembly.

A coupling system for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said imaging system is configured to allow light from said fast plane of said stripes to pass therethrough unaffected.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said collection lens is formed as a convex lens.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said collection lens is configured to image light from said slow planes and to collect light from said fast planes.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein the device includes a plurality of optical fibers.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said plurality of optical fibers are configured in a ribbon.

A coupling device for coupling light from a diode laser bar assembly having an array of diode lasers or stripes arranged in one or more columns and a plurality of rows to an optical fiber, the coupling device comprising:

• a plurality of stripes;
• an imaging system for imaging light in each of said columns in said slow plane while enabling light from said fast planes to pass therethrough;
• a collection lens for collecting light from said stripes and directing light from a column of stripes into a single optical fiber;
• and
• one or more optical fibers, wherein said ribbon is a multimode ribbon with rectangular fibers.