Combined laser sources for sample characterization

A sample characterization system comprising:

• a light source including:
• a plurality of lasers, wherein each laser of the plurality of lasers is configured to generate a pulsed laser beam at a pulse repetition rate;
• a beam combining assembly including one or more beam combining optics configured to direct the pulsed laser beams from the plurality of lasers along a common beam path to form a combined laser beam, wherein all pulses in the combined laser beam have a common polarization state;
• a timing controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of lasers, the timing controller configured to synchronize pulse generation of each laser of the plurality of lasers such that the combined laser beam has a combined pulse repetition rate greater than the pulse repetition rate of any of the plurality of lasers;
• illumination optics configured to direct the combined laser beam onto a sample;
• collection optics configured to collect light from the sample;
• and
• a time delay integration (TDI) sensor configured to receive the collected light, wherein the TDI sensor is configured to operate at a line rate synchronized with motion of the sample such that a number of TDI integration lines covers a distance the sample travels between consecutive laser pulses in the combined laser beam.

A method comprising:

• generating a plurality of pulsed laser beams from a plurality of lasers, wherein each laser of the plurality of lasers generates a pulsed laser beam at a pulse repetition rate;
• combining the plurality of pulsed laser beams along a common beam path to form a combined laser beam having a combined pulse repetition rate greater than the pulse repetition rate of each laser of the plurality of lasers, wherein all pulses in the combined laser beam have a common polarization state;
• and
• synchronizing pulse generation of each laser of the plurality of lasers such that the combined laser beam has the combined pulse repetition rate.