Patent ID: 7233433
Filing Date: 2007-06-19
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A method of implementing a coherent laser beam combining system, the method comprising: a. splitting the output signal of a master oscillator into N signals; b. simultaneously modulating each of said N signals at a unique frequency; c. selecting one of said N modulated signals as a reference signal, thereafter designing the remaining M=N−1 signals as M slave signals; d. feeding said M slave signals to M optical phase adjusters; e. optically amplifying the output of said M phase adjusters and said reference signal; f. feeding said N amplified signals to alignment optics; g. feeding the N output signals of said alignment optics to a beam sampler, wherein a small portion of the alignment optics output signals is split off and imaged onto a photodetector and the remainder of the alignment optics output signals are passed through the beam sampler and become the final output; h. directing an output signal of said photodetector to a signal processor that produces phase error signals to drive each of the M optical phase adjusters, whereby the M phase adjusted signals are maintained in phase with the reference signal producing a high-powered optically-coherent final output signal.