Laser device for white light
A laser illumination or dazzler device and method. More specifically, examples of the present invention provide laser illumination or dazzling devices power by one or more violet, blue, or green laser diodes characterized by a wavelength from about 390 nm to about 550 nm. In some examples the laser illumination or dazzling devices include a laser pumped phosphor wherein a laser beam with a first wavelength excites a phosphor member to emit electromagnetic at a second wavelength. In various examples, laser illumination or dazzling devices according to the present invention include polar, non-polar, or semi-polar laser diodes. In a specific example, a single laser illumination or dazzling device includes a plurality of violet, blue, or green laser diodes. There are other examples as well.
1. A system comprising:
a white light source apparatus for a lighting device;
a housing member;
a laser device disposed within the housing member; and
an application configured with the laser device, the laser device comprising:
an active region and a cavity member, the laser device configured to emit a laser beam having a first peak wavelength in a 390 nm to 480 nm range and an energy level of at least 1 W, the active region including a gallium and nitrogen containing material;
a driving circuit electrically coupled to the laser device, the driving circuit adapted to deliver electrical energy to the laser device and generate the laser beam;
a power source electrically coupled to the driving circuit;
a phosphor member copackaged with the laser device, the phosphor member positioned remote from the laser device in an optical pathway of the laser beam and configured for excitation of the laser beam, the optical pathway consisting of a free space with non-guided characteristics for transmitting the laser beam from the laser device to the phosphor member, the laser beam incident on an excitation surface of the phosphor member, the phosphor member coupled to a reflective surface and operable in a reflective mode where at least a portion of a laser emission with the first peak wavelength passing through the phosphor member is reflected by the reflective surface back through the phosphor member, the phosphor member configured to convert at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam from the first peak wavelength to a second peak wavelength in a 500 nm to 580 nm range; and
an optical member configured to collimate and/or project the portion of the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least the second peak wavelength to provide a white light output of at least 200 lumens.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the laser device further comprises a waveguide for projecting the laser beam along the first direction.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the laser device comprises a plurality of laser diodes.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a beam dump configured to capture stray laser light.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical member is configured for a dynamic light feature including a MEMS scanning mirror or a Digital Light Processing (DLP) chip.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising an optic for adjusting a size of the white light output at a predetermined distance.
7. The system of claim 1 further comprising optics for collimating and/or shaping the laser beam prior to incidence on the phosphor member, the optics including an optional member comprising a fast axis collimator, a slow axis collimator, a spheric lens, or an aspheric lens, and the optics also including a mirror operably coupled to reflect the laser beam from the laser device along the optical pathway to the phosphor member, the mirror comprising a turning mirror, a dichroic mirror, a fixed mirror, or a dynamic mirror.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the laser beam carries over 5 W, over 10 W, or over 100 W; and the laser beam forms a spot size of less than 2 mm in diameter, less than 1 mm in diameter, less than 500 μm in diameter, less than 100 μm in diameter, or less than 50 μm in diameter; and the laser beam has a power density of over 1 W/mm2, over 100 W/mm2, or over 2500 W/mm2.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the phosphor member has a conversion ratio of greater than 50 lumens of emitted white light per optical watt of excitation light, greater than 100 lumens of emitted white light per optical watt of excitation light, or greater than 200 lumens of emitted white light per optical watt of excitation light.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the laser beam carries 5 W of excitation power, the white light output is 1000 lumens, and the white light output has a beam diameter of 100 μm or less.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein a spectral width, wavelength, size, shape, intensity, and polarization of the laser beam are configured to excite the phosphor member.
12. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical member includes a parabolic reflector configured to project the white light output, and the phosphor member is positioned near a focal point of the parabolic reflector, or wherein the optical member includes one or more lenses configured to collimate the white light output into a projected beam.
13. A system comprising:
a white light source apparatus;
a housing member;
a laser device disposed within the housing member; and
an application configured with the laser device, the laser device comprising:
an active region and a cavity member, the laser device configured to emit a laser beam having a first peak wavelength in a 390 nm to 480 nm range, the active region including a gallium and nitrogen containing material;
a driving circuit electrically coupled to the laser device, the driving circuit adapted to deliver electrical energy to the laser device and generate a laser beam;
a power source electrically coupled to the driving circuit;
a phosphor member copackaged with the laser device such that a free space with non-guided characteristics transmits the laser beam from the laser device to the phosphor member, the laser beam incident on an excitation surface of the phosphor member and configured for optical coupling and excitation of the phosphor member;
whereupon the phosphor member is configured to convert at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam to a second peak wavelength in a 500 nm to 580 nm range;
a pathway configured from the laser device and provided by the optical coupling from the laser beam to the phosphor member; and
an optical member configured for a dynamic light feature including a MEMS scanning mirror or a Digital Light Processing (DLP) chip, the optical member configured to collimate and/or project an output beam comprising the second peak wavelength to provide a white light output of at least 200 lumens.
14. The system of 13 wherein the phosphor member is operable in a reflective.
15. The system of 13 wherein the phosphor member is operable in a reflective or transmissive mode and configured to convert at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam from a first blue peak wavelength in the 420 nm to 480 nm range to a second yellow peak wavelength in the 550 nm to 580 nm range; and the output beam is configured from the yellow and blue light to form the white light output.
16. A system comprising:
a white light source apparatus for a lighting device;
a housing member;
a laser device disposed within the housing member; and
an application configured with the laser device, the laser device comprising:
an active region and a cavity member, the laser device configured to emit a laser beam having a first peak wavelength in a 390 nm to 480 nm range and an energy level of at least 1 W, the active region including a gallium and nitrogen containing material;
a driving circuit electrically coupled to the laser device, the driving circuit adapted to deliver electrical energy to the laser device and generate the laser beam;
a power source electrically coupled to the driving circuit;
a phosphor member copackaged with the laser device, the phosphor member positioned remote from the laser device in an optical pathway of the laser beam and configured for excitation of the laser beam, the optical pathway having a free space with non-guided characteristics for transmitting the laser beam from the laser device to the phosphor member, the laser beam incident on an excitation surface of the phosphor member, the phosphor member operable in a transmissive mode where at least a portion of a laser emission with the first peak wavelength passes through the phosphor member, the phosphor member configured to convert at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam from the first peak wavelength to a second peak wavelength in a 500 nm to 580 nm range;
a turning mirror or dichroic mirror configured to direct the laser beam from the laser device to the phosphor member; and
an optical member configured to collimate and/or project the portion of the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least the second peak wavelength to provide a white light output of at least 200 lumens.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the laser device comprises a plurality of laser diodes.
18. The system of claim 16 wherein the laser beam carries over 5 W, over 10 W, or over 100 W; and the laser beam forms a spot size of less than 2 mm in diameter, less than 1 mm in diameter, less than 500 μm in diameter, less than 100 μm in diameter, or less than 50 μm in diameter; and the laser beam has a power density of over 1 W/mm2, over 100 W/mm2, or over 2500 W/mm2.
19. The system of claim 16 wherein the laser beam carries 5 W of excitation power, the white light output is 1000 lumens, and the white light output has a beam diameter of 100 μm or less.
20. The system of claim 16 wherein the optical member includes a parabolic reflector configured to project the white light output, and the phosphor member is positioned near a focal point of the parabolic reflector, or wherein the optical member includes one or more lenses configured to collimate the white light output into a projected beam.