Wavelength and power scalable waveguiding-based infrared laser system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsRafael R. Gattass, Leslie Brandon Shaw, Jasbinder S. Sanghera, Ishwar D. Aggarwal, Lynda E Busse
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Abstract
An infrared laser source system that combines laser emitters through an optical waveguide. Each emitter is coupled to a port of the optical waveguide and the waveguided signal is combined to provide a spatially combined laser source with a single common exit aperture. The materials used for waveguiding allow the propagation of wavelengths in the infrared. The system can be used for combining multiple laser emitters to increase the total output power and/or for combination of multiple emitters with different wavelength for increased spectral coverage out of the laser system.
Claims36
An infrared laser system, comprising:
- at least two laser emitters;
- an optical waveguiding element coupled to each laser emitter;
- and
- an optical combiner that combines all of the waveguiding elements into a single combined laser source having a single common exit aperture.
A method of providing an infrared laser source, comprising:
- coupling a laser emitter to an optical waveguiding element;
- coupling a second laser emitter to a second optical waveguiding element;
- optionally coupling additional laser emitters to additional optical waveguiding elements;
- and
- combining all of the optical waveguiding elements with an optical combiner to produce a single combined laser source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.