Beam combining light source

A beam combining light source comprising:

• a first row of light emitters for emitting a plurality of first emitter beams along a plurality of optical paths, each of the first emitter beams having a fast axis and a slow axis;
• a first row of beam collimating reflectors for collimating each of the first emitter beams in a plane of the slow axis thereof, and for re-directing the first emitter beams to mutually align the fast axes thereof for forming a first combined beam;
• wherein the first row of beam collimating reflectors is disposed at a distance from the first row of light emitters defining a space therebetween;
• a second row of light emitters for emitting a plurality of second emitter beams along a plurality of optical paths, each of the second emitter beams having a fast axis and a slow axis;
• a second row of beam collimating reflectors spaced apart from the second row of light emitters for collimating each of the second emitter beams in a slow axis plane, and for re-directing the second emitter beams to mutually align the fast axes thereof for forming a second combined beam, wherein the fast axes of the first and second emitter beams in the first and second combined beams are parallel to each other;
• a polarization converter disposed in an optical path of one of the first and second combined beams for converting a polarization state thereof into a polarization state orthogonal to a polarization state of the other of the first and second combined beams;
• a polarization beam combiner disposed for combining the first and second combined beams of light into a polarization combined beam of light;
• and,
• a plurality of fast axis collimators disposed at an output of the light emitters for collimating each of the first and second emitter beams in a fast axis plane;
• wherein light emitters of the first and second rows are disposed in a staggered arrangement with a lateral offset therebetween, and wherein:
• the second row of collimating reflectors is disposed at least partially in the space between the first row of light emitters and the first row of collimating reflectors, and
• the lateral offset between the first and second rows of the light emitters is such that the collimating reflectors of the second row do not block any of the first emitter beams.

A beam combining light source, comprising:

• first and second rows of light emitters for emitting a plurality of first emitter beams and a plurality of second emitter beams, respectively;
• first and second rows of beam collimating reflectors for collimating the first and second emitter beams, respectively, and for re-directing thereof for forming first and second combined beams, wherein the first and second rows of beam collimating reflectors are optically coupled to and spaced apart from the first and second rows of light emitters, respectively;
• a polarization beam combiner disposed for combining the first and second combined beams of light into a polarization combined beam of light;
• wherein the light emitters of the first and second rows are disposed in a staggered arrangement with a lateral offset therebetween, and wherein:
• the second row of collimating reflectors is disposed at least partially in a space between the first row of light emitters and the first row of beam collimating reflectors, and
• the lateral offset between the first and second rows of the light emitters is such that the beam collimating reflectors of the second row do not block any of the first emitter beams.