Spatially combined laser assembly and method of combining laser beams
A diode laser assembly including a plurality of diode bars disposed on a generally flat base plate and being oriented to emit a plurality of laser beams in a first direction. A reflector is spaced in the first direction from each of the diode bars in the first. Each reflector has at least two reflecting surfaces, one for reflecting the laser beams into a second direction different from the first direction and the other for reflecting the laser beams into a third direction different from the first and second directions to produce a spatially combined laser beam. Each reflector is moveable relative to one another and to the diode bars for adjusting the individual laser beams within the spatially-combined laser beam for optimizing the quality of the spatially combined laser beam.
1. A diode laser assembly comprising:
a plurality of diode laser emitters disposed on the same plane for emitting a plurality of laser beams in a first direction;
a plurality of reflectors with each reflector including a first reflecting surface for re-directing at least one of said laser beams into a second direction and a second reflecting surface for re-directing the same laser beam into a third direction;
said reflectors being spaced from one another in said first direction for producing a spatially combined laser beam; and
each of said reflectors being independently movable relative to one another and relative to said diode laser emitters in said first direction for adjusting the pitch between any two laser beams.
2. The diode laser assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said diode laser emitters are arranged in a plurality of diode bars and wherein each of said reflectors is aligned with at least one of said diode bars.
3. The diode laser assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said reflectors are rotatable in at least one direction for adjusting the far field pointing of the associated laser beams in at least one direction.
4. The diode laser assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said reflectors are rotatable in two directions for adjusting the far field pointing of the associated laser beams in two directions.
5. The diode laser assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first reflecting surface of each reflector is oriented for re-directing the associated laser beam by approximately ninety-degrees (90°).
6. The diode laser assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said second reflecting surface of each reflector is oriented for re-directing the associated laser beam by approximately ninety-degrees (90°).
7. The diode laser assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of diode laser emitters are mounted on a generally flat base plate.
8. The diode laser assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said reflectors is moveable in a second direction for adjusting the vertical position of the associated laser beam.
9. A method of combining laser beams comprising the steps of:
projecting a plurality of laser beams into a first direction;
re-directing the laser beams into a second direction different from the first direction with a plurality of reflectors;
re-directing each of the laser beams into a third direction different from the first and second directions with the plurality of reflectors to produce a spatially combined laser beam; and
translating at least one of the reflectors relative to the other reflectors in the first direction to adjust the pitch of the spatially combined laser beam.
10. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of translating at least one of the reflectors relative to the other reflectors in a second direction to adjust the vertical position of the associated laser beam.
11. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of rotating at least one of the reflectors in a first rotational direction relative to the other reflectors to adjust the far-field pointing of the associated laser beam.
12. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of rotating at least one of rotating at least one of the reflectors in a second rotational direction relative to the other reflectors to adjust the far-field pointing of the associated laser beam.
13. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the laser beams are projected from a plurality of laser emitters mounted on a generally flat base plate and further including the step of cooling the base plate.
14. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the first direction is angled by approximately ninety-degrees (90°) from the second direction and wherein the third direction is angled by approximately ninety-degrees (90°) from the second direction.
15. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of monitoring the spatially combined laser beam with a power meter and further including the step of translating or rotating the reflectors to adjust the power and quality of the spatially combined laser beam.