Compact optical beam combiner package

A method comprising:

• combining multiple input optical beams using a dichroic combiner array to generate an output optical beam, the dichroic combiner array comprising:
• multiple mirrors;
• and
• multiple dichroic filters;
• wherein a first of the mirrors reflects a first of the input optical beams towards a first of the dichroic filters and the first dichroic filter combines the first input optical beam and a second of the input optical beams;
• wherein a second of the mirrors reflects a combined optical beam from the first dichroic filter to a second of the dichroic filters;
• and
• wherein a last of the dichroic filters generates the output optical beam;
• and
• terminating stray optical energy using a beam dump array comprising multiple beam dumps, the stray optical energy comprising at least one of:
• (i) optical energy reflecting from at least one of the dichroic filters and (ii) optical energy transmitted through at least one of the dichroic filters.

A method comprising:

• placing an optical bench in a housing;
• and
• securing the optical bench within the housing;
• wherein the optical bench comprises:
• a dichroic combiner array configured to combine multiple input optical beams and generate an output optical beam, the dichroic combiner array comprising:
• multiple mirrors;
• and
• multiple dichroic filters;
• wherein a first of the mirrors is configured to reflect a first of the input optical beams towards a first of the dichroic filters, the first dichroic filter configured to combine the first input optical beam and a second of the input optical beams;
• wherein a second of the mirrors is configured to reflect a combined optical beam from the first dichroic filter to a second of the dichroic filters;
• and
• wherein a last of the dichroic filters is configured to generate the output optical beam;
• and
• a beam dump array comprising multiple beam dumps configured to terminate stray optical energy, the stray optical energy comprising at least one of:
• (i) optical energy reflecting from at least one of the dichroic filters and (ii) optical energy transmitted through at least one of the dichroic filters.