Two-dimensional multi-beam stabilizer and combining systems and methods
A system and method for stabilizing and combining multiple emitted beams into a single system using both WBC and WDM techniques.
1. A method of stabilizing and combining an array of emitters each emitting a beam, the method comprising:
forming a stabilizer cavity wherein each emitter forms a resonator with an external reflective surface to thereby stabilize the beam emitted by each emitter to a unique wavelength, wherein each beam emitted by the array of emitters is introduced to a dispersive element disposed within the resonator, wherein the dispersive element comprises a grating, a chirped grating, a surface grating, a volume grating, a transmission grating, or a prism;
transmitting the beams of the stabilizer from the dispersive element into a wavelength combiner; and
after the beams are transmitted into the wavelength combiner, combining the beams, within the wavelength combiner, along one dimension to form a multi-wavelength beam output.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer are transmitted into the wavelength combiner through back facets of the emitters.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer transmitted into the wavelength combiner do not pass through the emitters before entering the wavelength combiner.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wavelength combiner comprises at least one combining optical element.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-wavelength beam output is transmitted away from the array of emitters.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer transmitted into the wavelength combiner comprise the zero-order dispersion of the dispersive element.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dispersive element disperses the beams along only a single optical axis.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dispersive element is the external reflective surface.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external reflective surface receives a portion of the beams from the dispersive element to form the resonator.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising parallelizing the beams within the wavelength combiner before the beams are combined.
11. A method of stabilizing and combining an array of emitters each emitting a beam, the method comprising:
forming a stabilizer cavity wherein each emitter forms a resonator with an external reflective surface to thereby stabilize the beam emitted by each emitter to a wavelength different from wavelengths emitted by the other emitters, wherein each beam emitted by the array of emitters is introduced to a dispersive element disposed within the resonator;
transmitting the beams of the stabilizer from the dispersive element into a wavelength combiner; and
after transmitting the beams into the wavelength combiner, combining the beams, within the wavelength combiner, along one dimension to form a multi-wavelength beam output that is transmitted away from the array of emitters.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer are transmitted into the wavelength combiner through back facets of the emitters.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer transmitted into the wavelength combiner do not pass through the emitters before entering the wavelength combiner.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wavelength combiner comprises at least one combining optical element.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the multi-wavelength beam output is transmitted away from the array of emitters.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beams of the stabilizer transmitted into the wavelength combiner comprise the zero-order dispersion of the dispersive element.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dispersive element disperses the beams along only a single optical axis.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dispersive element is the external reflective surface.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the external reflective surface receives a portion of the beams from the dispersive element to form the resonator.
20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising parallelizing the beams within the wavelength combiner before the beams are combined.