Patent ID: 9647417
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: G02B,H01S

Claim:
1. A laser beam combining and power scaling method using a plurality of laser heads arranged in parallel, said plurality of laser heads emitting radiation, a plurality of respective optical axes aligned with respective ones of said plurality of laser heads, a plurality of first highly reflective mirrors residing perpendicularly with respect to respective ones of said plurality of said optical axes and behind respective ones of said plurality of said laser heads, a plurality of Q-switches interposed in respective ones of said plurality of said optical axes between respective ones of said plurality of first highly reflective mirrors and respective ones of said laser heads, a control device, a plurality of second highly reflective mirrors residing perpendicularly with respect to respective ones of said plurality of optical axes, a plurality of beam splitters arranged at an incidence angle with respect to respective ones of said optical axes and residing intermediate said respective ones of said plurality of laser heads and said plurality of second highly reflective mirrors, a common laser output axis, and a common output axis highly reflective mirror residing perpendicularly with respect to and along said common laser output axis, comprising the steps of: controlling, using said control device, the timing, frequency and duration of the actuation of said Q-switches; directing, using said plurality of beam splitters, respective first portions of radiation emitted from said plurality of laser heads along said common laser output axis; directing, using said plurality of beam splitters, respective second portions of said radiation emitted from said plurality of laser heads along said respective ones of said optical axes toward said plurality of second highly reflective mirrors; reflecting, using said plurality of second highly reflective mirrors residing perpendicularly with to respective ones of said plurality of optical axes, said respective plurality of second portions of said radiation emitted from said plurality of laser heads along said respective ones of said optical axes toward said respective ones of said beam splitters; directing, using said plurality of beam splitters, respective first portions of radiation emitted from said respective ones of said plurality of second highly reflective mirrors along said common output axis toward said common output axis highly reflective mirror residing perpendicularly with respect to said common output axis; directing, using said plurality of beam splitters, respective second portions of radiation emitted from said respective ones of said plurality of second highly reflective mirrors toward said respective ones of said plurality of laser heads; reflecting, using said common output axis mirror, said respective first portions of radiation received from said plurality of second highly reflective mirrors toward said plurality of beam splitters; directing, using said plurality of said beam splitters, a plurality of first portions of radiation from said common output axis highly reflective mirror along said common laser output axis; and, directing, using said plurality of said beam splitters, a plurality of second portions of radiation from said common output axis highly reflective mirror toward said plurality of said second highly reflective mirrors.