Ultra-compact, low cost high powered laser system

Abstract

A laser system that has a chirped grating and an optical combiner coupled to a laser diode. The laser diode generates a laser pulse in response to an electrical pulse from a driver circuit. Because of various internal effects the rear portion of the laser pulse contains light with longer wavelengths than light at the front end of the pulse. The laser pulse travels through the combiner and into the chirped grating. The chirped grating has a spacing that decreases from a proximal end to a distal end of the grating. The longer wavelengths of the laser pulse reflect from the proximal end of the grating. The shorter wavelengths reflect from the distal end of the grating and combine with the longer wavelengths in the combiner. The shorter wavelengths, which were at the front of the pulse, have to travel a greater distance than the longer wavelengths. The greater distance spatially shifts the shorter wavelengths back into the longer wavelengths of the pulse. The result is a short high powered laser pulse.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.