METHOD OF BEAM FORMATTING SE-DFB LASER ARRAY
The present invention provides a method of fabricating a beam formatting diode laser using a surface-emitting distributed feedback (SE-DFB) laser array (SELA), instead of edge-emitting diodes that provides a brighter diode and results in simple and few optical components to reduce the complexity and cost of solid-state laser pump modules and direct-diode applications.
1 . A method of formatting a laser beam comprising:
using a surface-emitting distributed feedback (SE-DFB) laser array (SELA)
passing the beam through a cylindrical lens
wherein the beam of the laser is formatted.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam is collimated.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam forms a line source using a single cylindrical lens and a SELA which has a nearly collimated output beam in the longitudinal direction and a divergent beam in the lateral direction.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein a point source is formed by using one or more reflectors to guide the line source to a point source.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the array is a two-dimensional array.
6 . A method of forming a line source from multiple SELAs comprising:
passing the output beam through a single cylindrical lens.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the line source is extended by stacking multiple SELAs in the lateral direction.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the line source is intensified by stacking multiple SELAs in the longitudinal direction.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the multiple SELAs is a two-dimensional array.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein multiple cylindrical lenses are used to form the line source.
11 . A method of forming a concentrated line source from multiple SELAs comprising:
(a) positioning the SELAs at a constant radial distance from a line source;
(b) orienting the SELAs longitudinally and in the same longitudinal plane; and
(c) aligning one or more cylindrical focusing lens in the output beam path;
whereby the concentrated line source is generated.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein an intensified line source is formed by using a two-dimensional array of SELAs in step (a).
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a plurality of cylindrical focusing lenses are aligned to the SELAs generating a concentrated line source.
14 . A method of pumping a solid-state or gas gain media using an array of SELAs comprising:
stacking, periodically two or more SELA arrays with one or more cylindrical lens arrays.
15 . A method of collimating multiple SELAs using a single cylindrical lens ( FIG. 5A ) comprising:
locating the multiple SELAs at a radial distance away from a virtual line source; and
locating a single cylindrical lens at a distance such that the focal length of the lens is approximately equal to its location from the virtual line source.
16 . A method of collimating a two dimensional array of SELAs comprising:
side-stitching the array of SELAs using a single cylindrical lens.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein multiple cylindrical arrays are placed side by side to form a larger area of collimated beam.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a point source is formed from the collimated beam using an aspherical lens.