Laser beam combination system

A laser beam combination system for directing a combined output beam of plurality of laser sources along a common optical axis, the system comprising

• a first laser source having an optical axis for coherent light amplification,
• a first reflecting mirror positioned perpendicular to the optical axis of the first laser source,
• a second laser source having an optical axis for coherent light amplification,
• a second reflecting mirror positioned perpendicular to the optical axis of the second laser source,
• a fully reflecting mirror perpendicularly positioned on the optical axis of the first laser source to reflect light back toward the first laser source along the optical axis of the first laser source, and
• a beam splitter for reflecting a portion of incident light, the beam splitter being positioned at an intersection of the optical axes of the first laser source and the second laser source to define an unimpeded optical path between the fully reflecting mirror and the beam splitter, with the beam splitter positioned to lie at an angle with respect to both the first and second optical axes to reflect coherent light from the first laser source into the combined output beam and also reflect coherent light received from the fully reflecting mirror into the second laser source.

A laser beam combination system for directing a plurality of laser beams along a common optical output axis, the system comprising

• a first laser source operated in a pulse mode and having an optical axis for coherent light amplification,
• a first reflecting mirror positioned perpendicular to the optical axis of the first laser source,
• a second laser source for coherent light amplification, the second laser source being operated in a pulse mode and having an optical axis coincident with the common optical output axis, with the coherent light amplification pulse occurring before or after the coherent light amplification pulse of the first laser source,
• a second reflecting mirror positioned perpendicular to the optical axis of the second laser source and the common optical output axis
• a fully reflecting mirror positioned to reflect coherent light received from the first laser source, and
• a beam splitter positioned between the first laser source and the fully reflecting mirror to provide an unimpeded optical path between the fully reflecting mirror and the beam splitter, the beam splitter also being situated along the optical axis of the second laser source to reflect coherent light from the first laser source along the common optical output axis and reflect coherent light received from the fully reflecting mirror into the second laser source.