Laser based material processing methods and scalable architecture for material processing

In a laser based material processing system a method of producing a laser output comprising:

• generating a laser beam using a laser source having a gain medium;
• coupling the laser beam into a planar waveguide section having a core, and at least one cladding, and at least one output surface;
• and
• controllably modifying the laser beam within the planar waveguide section to produce at least one of an polarized, modulated, q-switched and mode controlled output beam characteristic at the output surface of the waveguide section.

A system for material processing, comprising:

• a control signal for generating a pulsed laser beam based on position information of target material relative to beam position information;
• means for generating a pulsed laser beam having:
• a pre-determined wavelength, a pulse width in the range of 10 femtoseconds to about 30 nanoseconds, pulse energy of about 20 microjoules or greater;
• and
• means for forming a pulsed laser processing beam;
• means for delivering the laser processing beam to the target material.

In a system for high power laser processing, a method of producing a laser output beam having a desirable output mode and scalable output power comprising:

• optically pumping a gain medium to generate a laser output beam having an average power of about 100W or greater, the gain medium having a non-cylindrical guiding region over which a laser beam is amplified and guided in at least one direction;
• cooling a surface of the pumped laser gain medium to compensate for an undesirable thermal gradient;
• controlling a mode of the output beam to produce a predetermined level of beam quality, wherein the step of controlling is carried out in a section separated from the gain medium and along the direction of beam propagation;
• and
• delivering at least a portion of the laser output to the target material to modify a physical property of the target material.