Diagnostic for Spectrally Combined Laser

A diagnostic unit for use in evaluating a set-up of each of a plurality of laser sources, each of the plurality of laser sources having a separate wavelength operating in a spectrally combined laser (SBC laser), the diagnostic unit comprising:

• a spectral filter adapted to pass one wavelength of laser energy from the SBC laser;
• a microlens aligned with the spectral filter;
• and
• a sensor aligned with the microlens and the spectral filter so that the laser energy passing through both the microlens and the spectral filter causes activation of an area of the sensor, the activated area indicating an alignment of a source of the laser energy on the one wavelength of laser energy.

A method of performing diagnostics on a spectral beam combining (SBC) laser having a plurality of sources of laser energy at different wavelengths, the method comprising:

• receiving SBC laser energy;
• filtering the SBC laser energy to pass a single wavelength of the SBC laser energy;
• focusing the SBC laser energy;
• illuminating, with the filtered and focused SBC laser energy, a portion of a sensor;
• and
• analyzing the illuminated portion of the sensor to provide alignment information and focus information for a source of the single wavelength of the SBC laser energy.