High-power, phased-locked, laser arrays
AssigneeNecsel Intellectual Property, Inc.
InventorBoris Leonidovich Volodin
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Abstract
High-power, phased-locked, laser arrays as disclosed herein utilize a system of optical elements that may be external to the laser oscillator array. Such an external optical system may achieve mutually coherent operation of all the emitters in a laser array, and coherent combination of the output of all the lasers in the array into a single beam. Such an “external gain harness” system may include: an optical lens/mirror system that mixes the output of all the emitters in the array; a holographic optical element that combines the output of all the lasers in the array, and an output coupler that selects a single path for the combined output and also selects a common operating frequency for all the coupled gain regions.
Claims20
A system for producing mutually-coherent operation of a plurality of light emitters, each of the emitters outputting a respective power and brightness, the system comprising:
- an optical system that mixes respective beams received from each of the plurality of emitters;
- and
- a beam-combining element that forms at least one composite beam containing a respective contribution from each of the emitters, wherein a portion of the composite beam has a selected wavelength,
- wherein the composite beam is fed back in such a way that mutually coherent operation of the plurality of emitters is achieved such that the emitters phase with a phase difference that results in a coherent output beam from the system, and wherein mutually coherent operation of the plurality of emitters is achieved such that each of the emitters lases at the selected wavelength.
A method for producing mutually-coherent operation of a plurality of light emitters, each of the emitters outputting a respective power and brightness, the method comprising:
- mixing respective beams received from each of the plurality of emitters;
- forming a composite beam containing a respective contribution from each of the emitters, and
- feeding back the composite beam in such a way that mutually coherent operation of the plurality of emitters is achieved such that the emitters lase with a phase difference that results in a coherent output beam from the system,
- wherein a portion of the composite beam has a selected wavelength, and wherein mutually coherent operation of the plurality of emitters is achieved such that each of the emitters lases at the selected wavelength.
A system for producing mutually-coherent operation of a plurality of light emitters, each of the emitters outputting a respective power and brightness, the system comprising:
- an optical system that mixes respective beams received from each of the plurality of emitters;
- and
- a beam-combining element that forms at least one composite beam containing a respective contribution from each of the emitters, and
- a wavelength-selective output coupler that receives the composite beam from the beam-combining element,
- wherein the wavelength-selective output coupler feeds back a portion of the composite beam in such a way that each of the emitters receives narrowband light from every other emitter, and
- wherein the composite beam is fed back in such a way that mutually coherent operation of the plurality of emitters is achieved such that the emitters lase with a phase difference that results in a coherent output beam from the system.
A method for producing mutually-coherent operation of a plurality of light emitters, each of the emitters outputting a respective power and brightness, the method comprising:
- mixing respective beams received from each of the plurality of emitters;
- forming a composite beam containing a respective contribution from each of the emitters, and
- feeding back the composite beam in such a way that mutually coherent operation of the plurality of emitters is achieved such that the emitters lase with a phase difference that results in a coherent output beam from the system,
- wherein a wavelength-selective output coupler receives the composite beam from a beam-combining element, and the wavelength-selective output coupler feeds back a portion of the composite beam in such a way that each of the emitters receives narrowband light from every other emitter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.