High brightness, monolithic, multispectral semiconductor laser
A system and method for combining multiple emitters into a multi-wavelength output beam having a certain band and combining a plurality of these bands into a single output using non-free space combining modules.
1. A laser system comprising:
a plurality of beam emitters each configured to emit an optical beam having a different wavelength;
a non-free-space optical module positioned to receive the optical beams;
a diffraction grating for combining the optical beams into a multi-wavelength beam; and
positioned to receive the multi-wavelength beam, a reflector for (i) transmitting a first portion of the multi-wavelength beam as an output beam, and (ii) reflecting a second portion of the multi-wavelength beam, thereby causing transmission of the second portion of the multi-wavelength beam through the non-free-space optical module back to the plurality of beam emitters, whereby each beam emitter is stabilized to its emission wavelength.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an optic for converging the plurality of optical beams toward the diffraction grating.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the optic is spaced away from a surface of the non-free-space optical module.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the optic is disposed on a surface of the non-free-space optical module.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diffraction grating is disposed on a surface of the non-free-space optical module or within the non-free-space optical module.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the reflector is disposed on a surface of the non-free-space optical module or within the non-free-space optical module.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reflector is disposed on a surface of the non-free-space optical module or within the non-free-space optical module.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the beam emitters is a diode emitter disposed within a diode bar.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the non-free-space optical module comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, silica, sapphire, CaF 2 , MgF 2 , and ZnSe.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber being associated with one of the beam emitters.
11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a collimation optic for collimating the optical beams.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the collimation optic is disposed on a surface of the non-free-space optical module.
13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more prisms positioned to receive one or more of the optical beams.
14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a dichroic combiner positioned to receive the output beam.