WAVELENGTH BEAM COMBINING BASED LASER PUMPS
A method of direct diode pumping a fiber laser includes disposing a plurality of diode lasers in a wavelength beam combining cavity for generating a wavelength beam combining laser output, and optically coupling the wavelength beam combining laser output to the gain medium of a fiber laser. The wavelength beam combining cavity may comprise a fast axis wavelength beam combining cavity. Also, the plurality of diode lasers may comprise a multidimensional array of diode lasers arranged as diode laser bars disposed in a stack and spatially interleaved or optically aligned to form an optical stack. Each of the diode lasers may produce a distinct wavelength laser beam.
1 . A method of direct diode pumping a fiber laser, comprising:
disposing a plurality of diode lasers in a wavelength beam combining cavity for generating a wavelength beam combining laser output; and
optically coupling the wavelength beam combining laser output to the gain medium of a fiber laser.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wavelength beam combining cavity comprises a fast axis wavelength beam combining cavity.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of diode lasers comprises a multidimensional array of diode lasers.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the multidimensional array comprises a plurality of diode laser bars disposed in a stack.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the diode bars in the stack are spatially interleaved.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the diode laser bars are optically aligned to form an optical stack.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of diode lasers includes a plurality of distinct wavelength lasers.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further including a laser driver for controlling the plurality of diode lasers.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the laser driver is capable of direct modulation control of the laser source.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of a portion of the plurality of lasers receives a direct modulation signal at a distinct time.
11 - 22 . (canceled)
23 . A wavelength beam combining direct laser pump, comprising a wavelength beam combining-based direct diode laser adapted to deliver wavelength beam combined optical energy to a gain medium of a fiber laser.
24 . The laser pump of claim 23 adapted to facilitate pumping the fiber laser to produce increased output energy.
25 - 52 . (canceled)
53 . A method of pumping a fiber laser, comprising:
disposing a wavelength beam combining-based laser proximal to at least a first end of a fiber laser; and
delivering optical energy from the wavelength beam combining-based laser to a gain medium of the fiber laser to facilitate outputting increased power and energy from the fiber laser.
54 . (canceled)
55 . The method of claim 53 , wherein the wavelength beam combining-based laser comprises a fast axis wavelength beam combining cavity.
56 . The method of claim 53 , wherein the wavelength beam combining-based laser comprises a multidimensional array of diode lasers.
57 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the multidimensional array of diode lasers comprises diode laser bars that are optically aligned to form an optical stack.
58 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the wavelength beam combining-based direct diode laser comprises a fast axis wavelength beam combining cavity.
59 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the wavelength beam combining-based direct diode laser comprises a multidimensional array of diode lasers.
60 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the multidimensional array of diode lasers comprises diode laser bars that are optically aligned to form an optical stack.