Apparatus for shaping the output beam of semiconductor lasers

An apparatus for shaping part of the collective output beam of a plurality of semiconductor lasers comprising individual bars of semiconductor lasers stacked one on top of the other to form an array, the plurality of semiconductor lasers being arranged to define a plurality of light-emitting areas and a plurality of non-light-emitting areas, and the semiconductor lasers having dimensions in X, Y and Z axes, wherein the Y axis defines the fast axis, the X axis defines the slow axis, and the Z axis defines an axis of propagation for the output beam, the apparatus comprising:

• a first reflective member comprising at least a first reflective element positioned a fixed distance from each bar in the array, the at least first reflective element adapted to deflect a first portion of the output beam from each bar in the array in a first direction oriented at a first non-zero angle in the slow axis direction and at a second non-zero angle in the fast axis direction;
• at least a second reflective member comprising at least a first reflective element positioned a fixed distance from each bar in the array, the at least first reflective element of the second reflective member adapted to deflect the first portion of the output beam from each bar in the array from the first direction to a second direction in the Z axis direction;
• and
• whereby the output beam of each bar in the array is shaped to define at least two beams comprising at least the first portion and a remainder of the output beam which is propagated along the Z axis without deflection by either of the first or at least second reflective members, with the first portion of the output beam being oriented approximately parallel to the un-deflected remainder of the output beam, and the non-light-emitting areas are substantially eliminated from the output beam.