Fiber optic laser system and associated lasing method

A fiber optic laser system comprising:

• a master oscillator which generates a primary laser signal having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined power level;
• a distribution module, downstream of said master oscillator, for amplifying and dividing the primary laser signal generated by said master oscillator into a plurality of secondary laser signals, said distribution module comprising:
• an optical fiber amplifier for receiving the primary laser signal from said master oscillator and for amplifying the primary laser signal during transmission through said optical fiber amplifier;
• and
• a coupler, downstream of said optical fiber amplifier, for dividing the amplified primary laser signal into the plurality of secondary laser signals;
• and
• a power amplification module, downstream of said distribution module, for further amplifying at least one of the secondary laser signals, said power amplification module comprising at least one optical fiber amplifier for amplifying the at least one secondary laser signal during transmission through said optical fiber amplifier to thereby produce a laser output having a power level greater than the predetermined power level of the primary laser signal.

A fiber optic laser system according to claim 32 wherein said beam combining means comprises:

• a phase modulator array having a plurality of phase modulator elements for controllably adjusting the respective phases of the plurality of secondary laser signals, wherein each phase modulator element is associated with a respective one of the plurality of secondary laser signals;
• a detector array having a plurality of detector elements for comparing a respective one of the plurality of secondary laser signals to a reference signal having a predetermined phase;
• and
• phase control means, responsive to said detector array, for providing phase control signals to said phase modulator array, such that said plurality of phase modulator elements adjust the respective phases of the plurality of secondary laser signals such that the plurality of secondary laser signals have a predetermined phase relationship to the predetermined phase of the reference signal.

A method of producing a high power laser output comprising the steps of:

• generating a primary laser signal having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined power level;
• transmitting the primary laser signal through an optical fiber amplifier, said transmitting step comprising the step of amplifying the primary laser signal with the optical fiber amplifier;
• dividing the amplified primary laser signal into a plurality of secondary laser signals;
• and
• combining the plurality of secondary laser signals into a laser output having a power level greater than the predetermined power level of the primary laser signal.

A fiber optic laser system comprising:

• a master oscillator which generates a primary laser signal having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined power level;
• distribution means, downstream of said master oscillator, for dividing the primary laser signal generated by said master oscillator into a plurality of secondary laser signals;
• power amplification means for amplifying at least one of the secondary laser signals, said power amplification means comprising at least one optical fiber amplifier for amplifying the at least one secondary laser signal during transmission through said optical fiber amplifier;
• and
• beam combining means, downstream of said power amplification means, for coherently combining the plurality of secondary laser signals into a laser output having an amplitude which is greater than the predetermined power level of the primary laser signal and a wavelength which equals or is derived from the predetermined wavelength of the primary laser signal to thereby produce a high intensity laser output.

A method of producing a high power laser output comprising the steps of:

• generating a primary laser signal having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined power level;
• dividing the primary laser signal into a plurality of secondary laser signals having a frequency and an amplitude which are related in a predetermined manner to the predetermined wavelength and the predetermined power level of the primary laser signal;
• transmitting the secondary laser signals through respective optical fiber amplifiers, said transmitting step comprising the step of amplifying the secondary laser signals with the respective optical fiber amplifiers;
• and
• coherently combining the plurality of secondary laser signals into a laser output having a power level greater than the predetermined power level of the primary laser signal.