Spectral beam combination using broad bandwidth lasers
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems Corp.
InventorGregory D. GOODNO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for spectral beam combination by applying a spatial chirp to each of a plurality of input beamlets using a respective plurality of dispersive elements and combining the spatially-chirped beamlets into a single collimated output beam using a dispersive element configured to remove the spatial chirp. In an embodiment, each dispersive element is a grating combined with a lens that is confocal to the grating and also confocal to a Fourier plane upon which a transverse distribution of beam spectral components is produced. A final lens-grating pair includes a lens and a grating, where the lens is confocal to the grating and also confocal to the Fourier plane.
Claims23
A system for combining a plurality of laser beamlets to form a single collimated output beam using spectral beam combination, comprising:
- a plurality of broadband laser sources emitting a plurality of beamlets of different wavelengths;
- a plurality of lenses arranged to collimate said plurality of beamlets;
- a spatial chirper configured to apply a spatial chirp to said collimated beamlets and to tile said spatially-chirped beamlets at a Fourier plane such that spectral components of said beamlets are transversely dispersed across said Fourier plane;
- and
- a dispersive beam combiner configured to remove the spatial chirp imposed by said spatial chirper and to combine the beamlets into a single collimated output beam.
A method for combining a plurality of laser beamlets to form a single collimated output beam using spectral beam combination, comprising the steps of:
- emitting a plurality of laser beamlets from a plurality of broadband laser sources;
- applying a spatial chirp to each beamlet using a spatial chirper including at least one dispersive element arranged to produce a transverse distribution of spectral beam components at a Fourier plane;
- and
- combining the spatially-chirped beamlets into a single collimated output beam using a combiner including at least one dispersive element arranged to remove the spatial chirp imposed by said spatial chirper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.