Laser beam generation apparatus, laser machining device, and laser machining method

A laser machining device comprising a laser beam generation apparatus, the laser beam generation apparatus including:

• a light source section including a plurality of seed lasers each emitting laser light;
• an optical amplification section disposed to face the seed lasers of the light source section and configured to amplify the laser light emitted from the seed lasers and received at an incidence surface to output the amplified laser light from an emission surface;
• and
• a plurality of light-guiding paths configured to guide the laser light emitted by the seed lasers to enter the incidence surface of the optical amplification section,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of light-guiding paths has an optical distance different from optical distances of other light-guiding paths,
• wherein the optical amplification section is configured to combine the laser light from the plurality of light-guiding paths and output the combined laser light as a laser beam,
• wherein the laser machining device is configured to machine a target object by the laser beam output from the laser beam generation apparatus.

A laser machining method comprising:

• combining laser light from a plurality of light-guiding paths having mutually different optical distances, the laser light being emitted by a plurality of seed lasers and guided by the plurality of light-guiding paths;
• outputting the combined laser light as a laser beam;
• and
• machining a target object by the laser beam.