Bright diode-laser light-source

A light-source comprising:

• a heat-sink having a flat surface;
• a plurality of diode-laser bars each thereof having a front surface said front surface having a plurality of diode-lasers emitting-areas therein, laser-light being emitted from said emitting-areas in an emission-direction generally perpendicular to said front surface;
• said diode-laser bars being arranged parallel to each other, spaced apart in said emission-direction and thermally-coupled to said flat surface of said heat-sink, with said emitting-areas of said diode-laser bars facing the same direction and said emission-direction being at an acute angle to the plane of said flat surface of said heat-sink;
• and
• said acute angle and spacing of said diode-laser bars being selected such that laser-light emitted from one of said diode-laser bars is directed over an adjacent one of said diode-laser bars in the emission-direction.

A light-source comprising:

• a heat-sink having a flat surface;
• a plurality of diode-laser bars each thereof having a front surface said front surface having a plurality of diode-lasers emitting-areas therein, laser-light being emitted from said emitting-areas in an emission-direction generally perpendicular to said front surface;
• said diode-laser bars being arranged parallel to each other, spaced apart in said emission-direction and thermally-coupled to said flat surface of said heat-sink, with said emitting-areas of said diode-laser bars facing the same direction and said emission-direction being at an acute angle to the plane of said flat surface of said heat-sink;
• a plurality of rectangular optical-waveguides, one thereof associated with each of said diode-laser bars, each of said optical-waveguides having an elongated, generally rectangular entrance-face and an exit-face, said entrance-face being perpendicular to a propagation-axis of said optical-waveguide and located proximate the front surface of the said diode-laser bar with which it is associated for receiving laser-light emitted from said diode-laser emitting-areas;
• said acute angle and said spacing of said diode-laser bars being selected such that said entrance-faces of said optical-waveguides are perpendicular to said emission-direction and such that a said optical-waveguide associated with one said diode-laser bar extends freely over an adjacent said diode-laser bar in said emission-direction;
• and
• wherein said exit-faces of said optical waveguides are arranged to collectively provide an output-aperture of the light-source.

A light-source, comprising:

• a heat-sink having a flat surface;
• a plurality of diode-laser bars each thereof having a front surface, said front surface having a plurality of diode-lasers emitting-areas therein, laser-light being emitted from said emitting-areas in an emission-direction generally perpendicular to said front surface;
• said diode-laser bars being arranged parallel to each other, thermally-coupled to said flat surface of said heat-sink, and spaced apart in said emission-direction with said emission direction being parallel to said flat surface of said heat-sink;
• a plurality of rigid rectangular optical-waveguides, one thereof associated with each of said diode-laser bars, each of said optical-waveguides having an elongated, generally rectangular entrance-face, an exit-face, said entrance-face located proximate the front surface of the said diode-laser bar with which it is associated, for receiving laser-light emitted from said diode-laser emitting-areas, said entrance face being perpendicular to said emission direction and to said propagation axis;
• each of said optical-waveguides associated with a said diode-laser bar rearward of an adjacent said diode laser-bar in said emission direction being shaped such that laser-light collected thereby is transported over said adjacent said diode-laser bar;
• and
• wherein exit-faces of said plurality of optical-waveguides are collectively arranged to provide said output-aperture of the light-source.

A light-source, comprising:

• at least two light-source units;
• each of said light-source units including a heat-sink having a flat surface and a plurality of diode-laser bars each thereof having a front surface, said front surface having a plurality of diode-lasers emitting-areas therein, laser-light being emitted from said emitting-areas in an emission-direction generally perpendicular to said front surface;
• said diode-laser bars being arranged parallel to each other, spaced apart in said emission-direction and thermally-coupled to said flat surface of said heat-sink;
• and
• an optical delivery system for collecting laser-light emitted by said diode-laser bars and delivering said collected laser-light to an output-aperture of the light-source.

A light-source comprising:

• at least two light-source units;
• each of said light-source units including wedge-shaped heat-sink having a base, and a flat upper-surface inclined to said base at a first acute-angle;
• each of said light source units including a plurality of diode-laser bars each thereof having a front surface, said front surface having a plurality of diode-laser emitting-areas therein, laser-light being emitted from said emitting-areas in an emission-direction generally perpendicular to said front surface, said diode-laser bars being arranged parallel to each other, spaced apart in said emission-direction, thermally-coupled to said flat upper-surface of said heat-sink and arranged such that said emission-direction is at a second acute angle to said flat surface of said heat-sink;
• each of said light-source units including a plurality of rigid rectangular optical-waveguides, one thereof associated with each of said diode-laser bars, each of said optical waveguides having an entrance-face, an exit-face and a propagation axis, said entrance-face located proximate the diode-laser bar with which it is associated for collecting laser-light emitted thereby and begin perpendicular to said emission-direction and said propagation axis;
• and
• said light-source units being arranged, one above the other, with optical-waveguides in both pluralities thereof being shaped such that exit-faces thereof are collectively arranged, co-planar, with equal spacing between adjacent ones thereof to form an output-aperture of said light-source.