Diode-laser illuminator with interchangeable modules for changing irradiance and beam dimensions

1. Optical apparatus for projecting radiation into a spot of predetermined length and width in a working plane, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of stacks of diode-laser bars, each stack arranged to provide a beam of laser radiation, the diode-laser bars having a length, a slow-axis aligned with the length, a fast-axis perpendicular to the slow-axis, and a propagation-axis perpendicular to the fast-axis and the slow-axis, the diode-laser bars in each stack thereof being arranged one above another in the fast-axis direction, with the diode-laser bar stacks spaced-apart and aligned in the slow-axis direction;

a corresponding plurality of beam-expanders, one for each of the diode-laser bar stacks, each of the beam-expanders arranged to expand the beam from the corresponding diode-laser bar stack in the slow-axis direction only; and

an optical arrangement, including a spherical focusing lens, arranged to collect the slow-axis expanded beams and project the slow-axis expanded beams into the working plane in the slow-axis to form the length of radiation spot.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical arrangement focuses the slow-axis expanded beams in the fast-axis about in the working plane to form the width of the radiation spot.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the beam-expanders are configured cooperative with the optical arrangement such that the slow-axis expanded beams are each brought to intermediate foci about aligned in the slow-axis in an intermediate plane between the focusing lens and the working plane and then diverge to spread and overlap each other in the working plane to form the length of the radiation spot.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam-expanders are configured cooperative with the optical arrangement such that the slow-axis expanded beams are focused, in the slow-axis, overlapping, about in the working plane.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the optical arrangement projects the slow-axis expanded beams in the fast-axis into the working plane to form the width of the radiation spot.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the optical arrangement further includes a cylindrical lens having optical power in the fast-axis only, the fast axis-power being selected to locate the fast-axis focal plane of the optical arrangement at a distance from the working plane, with the width of radiation spot being dependent on that distance.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the fast-axis power of the cylindrical lens is negative power and the fast-axis focal plane is located beyond the working plane in the propagation-axis direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , further including first, second, and third modules, and wherein the diode-laser bar stacks are located in the first module, the beam-expanders are locate in the second module, and the optical arrangement is located in the third module and wherein the beam expanders are mounted in a cartridge removable from and replaceable into the second module.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the optical arrangement further includes a cylindrical lens having optical power in the fast-axis only, the fast axis-power being selected to locate the fast-axis focal plane at a distance from the working plane with the width of radiation spot being dependent on the distance, and wherein the fast-axis cylindrical lens is mounted on a tray removable from and replaceable into the third module.

10. Optical apparatus for projecting radiation into a spot of predetermined length and width in a working plane, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of stacks of diode-laser bars, each stack arranged to provide a beam of laser radiation, the diode-laser bars having a length, a slow-axis aligned with the length, a fast-axis perpendicular to the slow-axis, and a propagation-axis perpendicular to the fast-axis and the slow-axis, and the diode-laser bars in each stack thereof being arranged one above another in the fast-axis direction, with the diode-laser bar stacks spaced-apart and aligned in the slow-axis direction;

a corresponding plurality of beam-expanders, one for each of the diode-laser bar stacks, each of the beam-expanders arranged to expand the beam from the corresponding diode-laser bar stack in the slow-axis direction only;

a spherical focusing lens, arranged to collect the slow-axis expanded beams and project the slow-axis expanded beams into the working plane in the slow-axis to form the length of radiation spot; and

wherein the beam-expanders are configured cooperative with the spherical focusing lens such that the slow-axis expanded beams are each brought to intermediate foci in the slow axis spaced apart and aligned in the slow-axis in an intermediate plane between the focusing lens and the working plane and then diverge to spread and overlap each other in the working plane in the slow-axis to form the length of the radiation spot.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the spherical focusing lens focuses the slow-axis expanded beams in the fast-axis about in the working plane to form the width of the radiation spot.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein there are 6 diode-laser bar stacks and 6 beam expanders.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the beam expanders each include a negative slow-axis cylindrical lens followed by a positive slow-axis cylindrical lens.

14. Optical apparatus for projecting radiation into a spot of predetermined length and width in a working plane, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of stacks of diode-laser bars, each stack arranged to provide a beam of laser radiation, the diode-laser bars having a length, a slow-axis aligned with the length, a fast-axis perpendicular to the slow-axis, and a propagation-axis perpendicular to the fast-axis and the slow-axis, and the diode-laser bars in each stack thereof being arranged one above another in the fast-axis direction, with the diode-laser bar stacks spaced-apart and aligned in the slow-axis direction;

a corresponding plurality of beam-expanders, one for each of the diode-laser bar stacks, each of the beam-expanders arranged to expand the beam from the corresponding diode-laser bar stack in the slow-axis direction only;

an optical arrangement, including a spherical focusing lens, arranged to collect the slow-axis expanded beams and project the slow-axis expanded beams into the working plane in the slow-axis to form the length of radiation spot; and

wherein the beam-expanders are configured cooperative with the optical arrangement such that the slow-axis expanded beams are each brought to a focus in the slow-axis overlapping each other about in the working plane in the slow-axis to form the length of the radiation spot.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the optical arrangement projects the slow-axis expanded beams in the fast-axis about in the working plane to form the width of the radiation spot.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the optical arrangement further includes a cylindrical lens having optical power in the fast-axis only, the fast axis-power being selected to locate the fast-axis focal plane of the optical arrangement at a distance from the working plane with the width of radiation spot being dependent on that distance.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the fast-axis power of the cylindrical lens is negative power and the fast-axis focal plane is located beyond the working plane in the propagation-axis direction.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , further including first, second, and third modules, and wherein the diode-laser bar stacks are located in the first module, the beam-expanders are locate in the second module, and the optical arrangement is located in the third module, with the beam-expanders in the second module being mounted on a cartridge slidably removable from and insertable into the second module.