Optical coupling system

[0002] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/644,804, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,883, entitled “Optical Coupling System” filed Aug. 23, 2000 by Wang et all, of which to the extent not included herein are incorporated by reference.

[0003] 1. Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to optical coupling systems for coupling semiconductor laser with optical fiber, and in particular relates to methods for diode-laser beam shaping for construction of high-efficiency and high-power solid state lasers including fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers, and for high efficiency transmission of diode laser power through optical fiber.

[0005] 2. Background Art

[0006] The development of diode pumped fiber lasers has been rather successful recently. The scaling of various physical effects has greatly benefited this development. Diode lasers can provide concentrated pumping energy and thus enhance the efficiency of fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers. In end-pumped fiber lasers, a large outer cladding is used in cladding pumping. Pump light, often piped through fibers from pump lasers, enters the outer core (inner cladding), where it is confined so that it passes through the inner core, exciting the laser species. Stimulated emission from the laser species remains in the inner core. By converting the low brightness beam from the pump diode bar into a tighter beam, pumping a fiber laser can multiply brightness by a factor of more than 1000. Efficient configuration or scheme could allow higher brightness to be achieved, and the resulting tight laser beam can be coupled more efficiently into media such as optical fiber, laser fibers, or media doped with active species for other solid state lasers. Take fiber laser as an example. Currently, a typical fiber laser device includes a tens-of-meters double clad silica fiber with a small diameter and small NA core doped with active species, centered within a much larger inner cladding, surrounded by a soft low index fluoropolymer providing an acceptance NA of 0.45 for pump radiation. Pumping laser beams from laser diodes are coupled into the fiber inner cladding through the dichroic end mirror. (HR laser, HT pump). Although proper geometry is essential for increasing the efficiency of cladding pumping, good method of making tighter beam will allow more diode laser power to be injected into the fiber laser. This can reduce the size of cladding, shorten the length of the fiber, and increase the efficiency of a fiber laser or fiber amplifier.

[0007] A typical high-power laser diode array (LDA) has an a broad area light emitting aperture (1cm×1 μm) comprising light emitting elements (emitters) which are multiple spaced apart segments. In one typical commercial LDA product, for example, each segment has a width less than 200 μm, and may be divided into 20 sub-segments. Each sub-segment has an aperture width of 3-6 μm, and emits about 30 mW-60 mW. The effective aperture size in the transverse direction perpendicular to the plane of laser active region (the fast axis) is about 1 μm. Typical fast axis divergence is 30-40 degree and slow axis divergence is 10-15 degree. A typical high-power LDA can deliver 20 W laser power. Those more powerful can deliver 40 W or 60 W with this geometry. By using diode array stacks, however, 500-1400 W can be obtained. Because of the elongated geometry of LDA, it has been always a challenge to couple or inject high power (such as 4000 W) into a fiber cladding aperture (such as an aperture of 200 μm×500 μm, NA 0.45).

[0008] In order to send more power into optical fiber, many efforts have been made to concentrate light from diode laser arrays. There are a number of patents dealing with concentrating multiple emitter laser diode beams, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,887,096, 5,825,551, 5,808,323, 5,805,748, 5,513,201, and PCT WO99/35724, and PCT97/14073. Some other disclosures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,802,092, 5,793,783, 5,790,310, 5,594,752, 5,579,422, 5,568,577, 5,333,077, 5,185,758, 5,139,609, and 4,428,647.

[0009] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,096, an arrangement in which a reflection lens system shapes and guides beams from a rectilinear laser diode array with beam outlet surfaces lying in a common plane is disclosed. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,825,551, 5,808,323, 5,805,748, different laser beam shaping systems are disclosed. With these methods, an elongated laser beam is divided into a plurality of beam sections that is then rearranged into a more circular cross-section more suitable for pumping. Thus, beam rearrangement is achieved in these Patents using two parallel mirrors, using multiple small mirrors, or using multiple refractive parallel plates, respectively. In PCT WO97/14073, Hollemann et al shows a device for combining and shaping the radiation from several laser diode cells consisting of at least two laser diodes. For the systems discussed in the above disclosures, the requirements in system alignment can be difficult to meet in practice. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,168 and in an earlier publication (SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3008, 202, 1997), Goring et al disclosed an optical system for symmetrizing the beam of high-power diode laser by using tilted cylindrical lens and deflection elements. The drawback of the disclosed system is that the beams after deflection by the first deflection element is not collimated. And the image property must be corrected by an array of cylindrical lenses to achieved good results, or a blazed grating must be used. The limitation of the system is because the deflection elements placed behind the tilted cylindrical lens can not have any collimation power in the slow axis of the laser beam. Thus, if a mirror array is used as the second deflection element, an array of cylindrical lenses must be used to correct the slow axis divergence of the beams, while such array is very difficult to fabricate in practice. Without using the array of cylindrical lenses, a blazed grating or an array of deflection grid is used so that the slow axis divergence of the beam could be corrected. These deflection elements is not flexible, and can not be modified according to the smile of laser diode bars which often various one from another. When the smile is present, remarkable power loss occurs due to crosstalk in the redirection plane, which significantly limited the availability of diode laser bars. In summary, the limitation of the assembly disclosed in this prior art makes the system hard to realize and thus very expensive. U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,323, a single row of mirrors is also used to shape the beams from a laser diode array to a parallelogram-shaped laser beam bundle. But the mirror is difficult to realize in practice. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,201, an optical-path rotating device comprising a group of complicated prisms is disclosed. A common feature of the prior art is that one reflection component is associated with each beam from the diode laser array. This leads to low flexibility and difficulty in manufacturing. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,647, Spragne et al disclose systems in which each laser emitter of a diode laser array has its own lens mount adjacent to it in the space between the laser array and objective lens of the system. The purpose of the lens array is to change the angle of divergence of light beams leaving the emitting surface of the laser array at the slow axis so that the light beam can be collected efficiently by the objective lens. Although brightness can be increased with slow axis collimation, beam shaping in this way can never achieve results as good as desired because the difficulty in the fabrication of the slow axis collimator. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,758, Fan et al describe a method for scaling a pumped medium to higher power with multiple light source. The output beam of each light source is substantially collimated by respective collimating optics, and the beams of sources are substantially parallel to each other after collimation. An optical system is provided to focus the collimated and parallel beams. The methods described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,802,092, 5,793,783, 5,790,310, 5,594,752, 5,579,422, 5,568,577, 5,333,077, and 5,139,609 are similar to the methods mentioned above. However, since lens arrays can only collimate the beam from the diode array to a limited extent, obvious divergence still exists. Because of the beam divergence, laser diode arrays must be close to optical fiber so that the beam spot is small enough to achieve effective coupling. When multiple laser diode arrays are combined, the dimension of beam spot on the fiber aperture plane becomes larger due to the increased distance between laser diode arrays and the fiber aperture. As a result, these methods can not efficiently combine the beams from a plurality of diode laser arrays in to an optical fiber. For example, with these methods, it is impossible to effectively couple the beams from 200 pieces of 20W diode laser bars into a fiber to make a high-power fiber laser.

[0010] Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide methods and devices to rearrange and combine the beams from laser diode arrays or stacks so that high-efficiency and high-power coupling with target, such as an optical fiber, can be achieved. High-efficiency and high-power solid state lasers such as fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers, and high-efficiency transmission of diode laser power through optical fiber can be achieved.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to teach new methods of rearranging diode laser beam into a more circular laser beam.

[0012] To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a preferred apparatus of this invention may comprise at least one laser diode array, beam offsetting means, beam redirection means, and optical system disposed between said beam offsetting means and said beam redirection means, wherein said beam offsetting means collimates the beams from the emitters in the fast axis and offsets said beams from each other along the fast, and said optical system collimates the beams from said beam offsetting means in the slow axis and allows each of the beams to strike upon said beam redirection means so the beams travel one or a plurality of predetermined directions after the beam redirection means.

[0013] A preferred apparatus for a fiber laser of this invention may comprise at least one laser diode array, a laser fiber with inner cladding, a beam offsetting means, a beam rearranging means, an optical system disposed between said beam offsetting means and said beam redirection means, and a focusing means for coupling the beam from said laser diode array into said inner cladding.

[0014] Additional objects, new features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the following description. Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detail description of the invention provided hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description of the invention and the specific examples presented, while indicating preferred embodiment of present invention, are provided for illustration purposes only, because various changes and modifications within the scope and spirit of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the detail description of the invention that follows.

[0015] The accompanying drawings serve to explain the principles of the invention, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 shows the illustration of some possible results of shaping and rearrangement of LDA beams, in which CSA is the schematic view of emitter beam pattern of a typical laser diode array LDA. Only one beam cone is shown for clarity.

[0017] FIG. 2 schematically illustrated the general principle of the invention.

[0018] FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b) show two views of an embodiment of current invention for laser diode beam shaping, in which FAC is placed such that its cylinder axis forms a small angle with the emitter line, and the beam redirection means is a mirror group.

[0019] For comparison purpose, FIG. 3(c) and FIG. 3(d) shows two views of a common situation, in which the cylinder axis of FAC is parallel with the emitter line, where beam offsetting will not occur.

[0020] FIG. 3(e) schematically illustrated the relationship between FAC and the emitters of an LDA.

[0021] FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b) show the principle of beam redirection by two embodiments, in which the beam redirection means in

[0022] FIG. 4(a) is a mirror group, and in

[0023] FIG. 4(b) the beam redirection means is an optical wedge group.

[0024] FIG. 5(a) illustrated an embodiment where the beam offsetting means including collimation lens CL and the beam offsetting prism group PSM;

[0025] FIG. (5b) shows the relationship between the LDA emitter line and PSM;

[0026] FIG. (5c) shows the beam paths from three prisms in PSM.

[0027] FIG. 6 schematically shows a beam offsetting means in which a mirror group MX is used for beam offsetting.

[0028] FIG. 7(a) is a schematic view of a twisted mirror that will give similar beam offsetting result as MX in FIG. 6;

[0029] FIG. 7(b) and FIG. 7(c) shows two variations of PSM (FIG. 5) that have continuous surfaces.

[0030] FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b) show two views of another embodiment where a field lens is used.

[0031] FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the current invention, where a multi-section lens is used for beam offsetting, where

[0032] FIG. 9(a) schematically shows the relationship between emitters and the lens;

[0033] FIG. 9(b) and FIG. 9(c) shows two views of the embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b) schematically shows the method of beam shaping according to the current invention, in which an arbitrary optical system AOS forms offset images of the emitters onto the beam redirection means BR and allow each of the principal rays from LDA emitters to strike upon said beam redirection means so the rearranged beams travel in the same direction after the beam redirection means.

[0035] FIG. 11 also schematically illustrated the general principle of the invention, wherein the beams from LDA are offset by translation.

[0036] FIG. 11(a) illustrates the beam shape before and after the beam dividing and translation along the fast axis.

[0037] FIG. 12 shows some examples of beam translation-offsetting optics, in which,

[0038] FIG. 12(a), shows an optical plate group WG1 used for beam offsetting after the beam from emitter EM is collimated by FAC;

[0039] FIG. 12(b) to FIG. 12(d) illustrate the process of translation offsetting caused by three optical plates;

[0040] FIG. 12(e) to FIG. 12(f) show two views of another beam offsetting optics comprising a group of prisms;

[0041] FIG. 12(g) shows the beam path in each prism in the prism group PSMG.

[0042] FIG. 13 shows some examples of beam translation-offsetting optics, in which

[0043] FIG. 13(a) and FIG. 13(c) schematically illustrated two views of a beam offsetting optics that divides and offsets beams from the emitters by translation, in which WG2 comprises a group of optical wedges of different sizes;

[0044] FIGS. 13(b) and 13(d) illustrated a translation offsetting optics similar to that in

[0045] FIG. 13(a), but the optical wedges in the wedge group WG3 are the same in dimension in this case;

[0046] FIG. 13(e) is an example in which a mirror group MG-TR is used for the beam dividing and translation;

[0047] FIG. 13(f) shows the side view of the mirror group.

[0048] FIG. 14 schematically shows an embodiment in which a mirror MR1 is used as AOS mentioned in FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b).

[0049] FIG. 15 schematically illustrates a single unit of a mirror to be used for the construction of a module that combines the function of OS and BR.

[0050] FIG. 16 schematically illustrates an embodiment in which MR1 also acts as part of the beam focusing means.

[0051] FIG. 17 schematically illustrates an embodiment in which MR1 also acts as the beam focusing means.

[0052] FIG. 18 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a fiber laser.

[0053] FIG. 19 schematically shows an embodiment in which two groups of mirrors are arranged in the beam redirection means to obtain two laser outputs.

[0054] FIG. 20(a) and FIG. 20(b) show the two view of an embodiment of the current invention, in which a 2D-laser diode array is used with a series of FAC's.

[0055] In the present invention, the methods and apparatus for making efficient laser beam coupling are disclosed. In particular, new structures for shaping and rearranging laser beams from diode laser array are disclosed. Along with the use of a unique method for coupling pumping laser beam into optical fiber or other media, high efficiency can be achieved. These aspects of the present invention will facilitate the realization of high-efficiency and high-power fiber lasers or other solid state lasers. The beam shaping structures can significantly improve the quality of the beams from diode laser array, and is easy to realize and less demanding in system alignment. Thus, along with the coupling mechanisms disclosed, efficient coupling of diode lasers into optical fiber for high power injection can be made. Thus the system can be used for the construction of high-efficiency and high-power fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers or other solid state lasers.

[0056] Thus, a method or arrangement is used for beam rearranging and shaping, in which the beams from laser diode array are divided into a plurality of sections along the slow axis, offset from each other along the fast axis, and the sections of beams are then recombined along their fast axis so that the Lagrange invariant of the resulting beam increased approximately by n-fold in fast axis and reduced approximately by n-fold in slow axis.

[0057] This invention shows a new way to offset the beams from laser diode array emitters along the fast axis by using a beam offsetting means. The invention also shows a new way to realign the offset beams along the fast axis. Thus, a preferred apparatus of this invention may comprise at least one laser diode array, beam offsetting means, beam redirection means, and conventional optics disposed between said beam offsetting means and said beam redirection means, wherein said beam offsetting means substantially collimates the beams from the emitters in the fast axis and offsets said beams from each other along the fast axis by offsetting the outgoing angles of the beams, and said conventional optics collimates the beams from said beam offsetting means in the slow axis and allows each of the beams to strike upon said beam redirection means whereby each beam travels in at least one direction predetermined by said beam redirection means. The beam offsetting means can be in many forms such as a cylinder-like optics or a rod-like optics wherein the cylindrical axis of said cylinder-like optics or said rode-like optics is placed to form an angle with respect to the emitter line of said laser diode array. The conventional optics can comprise at least one refractive optics such as a lens or a lens group, or it can comprise at least one reflective optics such as a mirror. The conventional optics is placed in such a distance from said beam offsetting means that it collimates the laser beams from said beam offsetting means in the slow axis and allows each offset beam to strike upon the beam redirection means. The results of using said conventional optics eliminated the need of any cylindrical arrays or other complicated optics that are difficult to fabricate and that are impractical. In this apparatus, the beam redirection means can take many forms such as a mirror group or an optical wedge group, a grating, or the combination thereof.

[0058] With the beam reshaping method disclosed in this invention, the Lagrange invariant of the resulting beam could be increased approximately by n-fold in the fast axis and reduced approximately by n-fold in the slow axis. Thus, a preferred beam-shaping apparatus comprises a laser diode array, beam offsetting means, beam redirection means, and conventional optics disposed between said beam offsetting means and said beam redirection means, wherein the beam offsetting means includes a cylindrical-like collimating lens placed in front of a laser diode array such that the cylinder axis of said lens forms a predetermined angle with the emitter line of said laser diode array, wherein the beam redirection (rearranging) means is a mirror group in which a plurality of mirrors are stacked substantially along the direction of fast axis and each mirror is offset from the adjacent mirror by a predetermined angle, wherein said beam offsetting means collimates the beams from said laser diode array in the fast axis and offset the beams from each other along the fast axis by changing the outgoing angle of each beams, and said conventional optics collimates the offset beams in the slow axis and images each section of emitters of said laser diode array on a predetermined mirror in said mirror group, respectively, and the beams are redirected and reflected to one or a plurality of predetermined directions.

[0059] In this preferred apparatus, the beam redirection (rearranging) means can also be an optical wedge group in which a plurality of optical wedges are stacked substantially along the direction of fast axis, wherein said conventional optics collimates the offset beams in the slow axis and images each section of emitters of said laser diode array on a predetermined optical wedge in said optical wedge group, respectively, and the outgoing beams are redirected and refracted to one or a plurality of predetermined directions. Both reflective or refractive gratings can also be used as the beam redirection means.

[0060] Thus, a preferred beam-shaping apparatus comprises a laser diode array, a beam offsetting means, a beam redirection means, and an optical system disposed between said beam offsetting means and said beam redirection means, wherein the beam offsetting means includes a multi-section collimation lens placed in front of a laser diode array in which the cylinder axis of each section in the multi-section collimation lens is offset from the nearby section for a predetermined distance and each is substantially parallel with the emitter line of said laser diode array, wherein the beam rearranging means is a mirror or wedge group in which a plurality of mirrors (or wedges) are stacked substantially along the direction of fast axis and each mirror (or wedge) is offset from the adjacent mirror (or wedges) by a predetermined angle, wherein said beam offsetting means collimates the beams from said laser diode array into sections of beams and offset the beams from each other along the fast axis, and said optical system images each section of emitters of said laser diode array on a predetermined mirror in said mirror group, respectively, and the beams are then redirected and reflected to at least one predetermined direction.

[0061] The beam offsetting means mentioned above offsets the beams from the emitters of an laser diode array by changing the outgoing (deflection) angle of each beams. This offsetting can also be achieved by translation without outgoing angle change. The beam translation offsetting can be made in many ways, such as by using a prism group wherein each prism is offset from the adjacent prism, by using a mirror group, by oblique reflection from a mirror group, or by any optics or any array of optics that can offset the beams from a diode laser array along the fast axis by translation without substantial outgoing angle change. It is preferred that a collimation optics is used before this translation offsetting. Thus, a preferred apparatus for beam shaping comprises at least one laser diode array, collimation means for collimating the beams from said laser diode array in the fast axis, beam offsetting means for offsetting the collimated beams along the fast axis by beam translation, beam redirection means, and optical system disposed between said beam offsetting means and said beam redirection means, wherein said optical system collimates the beams from said beam offsetting means in the slow axis and images each section of emitters of said laser diode array on a predetermined element in said beam redirection means, respectively, and the beams are then redirected to at least one predetermined direction by reflection, refraction, or diffraction. Said collimation means in the preferred apparatus can comprise a cylindrical lens or rod-like optics. The beam offsetting means in this preferred apparatus can be an array of mirrors, an array of prisms, or optical wedges. The optical system can comprise at least one refractive optics such as a lens or a lens group, or it can comprise at least one reflective optics such as a mirror, or it can comprise other optical components. The beam redirection means can take many forms such as a mirror group or an optical wedge group, a grating, or the combination thereof.

[0062] With the inclusion of above apparatus, the objectives of constructing high-efficiency solid state lasers can then be achieved. Thus, a high-efficiency diode-pumped solid state laser apparatus can be made comprising a laser medium such as a laser fiber with its core doped with active species (for cladding pumping fiber laser) or a laser rod (or disc) doped with active species, at least one focusing means, and a beam source comprising at least one laser diode array, beam redirection means, beam offsetting means for collimating the beams from the emitters of said laser diode array and offsetting the beams along the fast axis, and a conventional optics placed in such a distance from said beam offsetting means that it collimates the laser beams from said beam offsetting means in the slow axis and allows each offset beam to strike upon said beam redirection means so that the beams travel in one or a plurality of predetermined directions after the beam redirection means, and wherein said focusing means focuses the beam from said beam redirection means onto the aperture of said laser medium.

[0063] With the use of above apparatus, efficient coupling between laser diode array and optical fiber can be achieved for efficient beam transmission. Thus, a fiber coupled laser diode array system of this invention comprises at least one laser diode array, at least one optical fiber, at least one focusing means, and a beam source comprising at least one laser diode array, beam offsetting means, imaging optics and beam redirection means, wherein said beam offsetting means collimates the beams from said laser diode array and offsets the beams from the emitters of said laser diode array along the fast axis, and said imaging optics collimates the beams in the slow axis and allows each of the offset beams to strike upon said beam redirection means so the beams travel in at least one predetermined direction after the beam redirection means, and wherein said focusing means focuses the beam from said beam redirection means onto the aperture of said optical fiber.

[0064] Beam Shaping and Rearrangement

[0065] The configuration of emitter structure of LDA and the beam structure and geometry are well known in the art. Although laser diode arrays (LDA) have often been used in pumped solid state lasers, the potential efficiency of these arrays has not been fully realized because of poor beam quality. This poor beam quality is the consequence of the highly elongated emitting region, ˜1 μm×10 mm, consisting of linear array of individual emitters. Because of the geometry of the active medium, the exit beam cone has an elliptical cross section. Typically, the beam divergence angle can be as large as approximately 90° in the major axis of the beam cone perpendicular to the plane of the p-n junction, which is also called the fast axis x_i, where the divergence angle is only about 10° in direction of the minor axis, also called the slow axis y_i, that is perpendicular to the fast axis (FIG. 1). For example a typical commercially available diode LDA has 19 groups of emitters. Each group has a dimension of 400 μm. The total length of LDA at slow axis is 10 mm, while the dimension at fast axis is only about 1 μm. In theory, by beam shaping, beams with much better quality can be obtained.

[0066] Generally, the so-called beam shaping is to divide and rearrange the beams from laser diode array and to reduce the Lagrange invariant in the slow axis. FIG. 1 shows the illustration of some possible results of shaping and rearrangement of LDA beams, in which CSA is the schematic view of emitter beam pattern of a typical LDA. Pattern P1 illustrates shape of the resulting beam cross-section that is formed when the LDA beams are divided according to the spacing between the emitters and rearranged along the fast axis of the beams. The schematic views P3 and P4 show another two possible beam cross-sections after beam rearranging by using different methods. Among P1, P3, and P4, beam spot P1 represents the best beam quality comparing with the other two.

[0067] The objective of beam shaping and rearrangement is met by the features of claim 1 to 22. The beam shaping and rearrangement is achieved by proper arrangement between beam offsetting means and an LDA (laser diode array), by using a beam deflecting optics with the power of slow axis collimation, and by using beam redirection means. By using beam offsetting means, the beams from the emitters of the LDA can be offset from each other along the fast axis. The offset can be made either by changing the beam outgoing (deflection) direction or by beam translation. It is preferred that the beam offsetting means also functions as collimatoin means for beams in the fast axis. It is more preferred that beam redirection means is included so that all the beams after the beam offsetting means travels in one or a plurality of predetermined directions by the arrangement of beam redirection means. It is even more preferred that a conventional optics is used to collimate the beams in the slow axis and to allow the beams to strike upon the beam redirection means. In one preferred embodiment, the fast axis collimation means and the emitter line of an LDA are aligned obliquely to each other so that the beams from the emitters are offset from each other along the fast axis. Thus, a method or arrangement is used for beam shaping, in which the beams from LDA are collimated and offset from each other into a plurality of sections in the direction of fast axis. A conventional optics such as a lens or a lens group, or a mirror is placed in such a location that the beams are collimated in the slow axis and are imaged onto a beam redirection means, aligned substantially along the fast axis as shown in FIG. 2. The optical element included in this conventional optics can be spherical or aspheric. It is preferred that cylindrical array or other lens arrays are not used as conventional optics. With a beam redirection means, the sections of offset beams are then rearranged or re-aligned along their fast axis. Ideally, the Lagrange invariant of the resulting beam is increased approximately by n-fold in the fast axis and reduced approximately by n-fold in the slow axis comparing with the Lagrange invariant of the beam from the laser diode array. Although, it is preferred that the optical components mentioned above are arranged so that the beam division and offsetting is made according to the spacing between emitters to achieve the highest brightness, the pattern of LDA emitters can also be simplified as CS in FIG. 1. That is, in such case, the number of emitters in LDA is not critical in beam dividing, and it also means that each offset beam spot could be formed by a beam from part of a single emitter or by beams from multiple emitters as shown by P2 in FIG. 1. Such consideration is useful when an LDA with a large number of emitters are used. Thus, although it is preferred to divide and offset the beams from the emitters and rearrange them into the patterns such as P1, P3 and P4, the spacing between the emitters (PH) is not particularly considered in the description below. Therefore, the number of division of the beams from LDA is not limited by the number of emitters of the LDA, and besides pattern P1, P3, and P4, beam pattern P2 can also be formed and provide improvement to the diode laser beam quality. Such division will make the beam shaping structure flexible in practice.

[0068] FIG. 2 shows a general scheme of the invention. EM is the emitter line of an LDA. For clarity, only five emitters are shown. BDM is a beam offsetting means. With this optics, the beams from the emitters are collimated in the fast axis (x) and offset from each other along this axis. The offset shown in FIG. 2 is made by the change of beam outgoing direction. The orientations of the beam spots are illustrated in several different coordinate systems (x, y; x1, y1; x2, y2; x3, y3). OS is a conventional optical system that collimates the beams in the slow axis (y) and deflects the offset beams onto a beam redirection means BR, along x2 axis, to form a rearranged beam spot P, with each beam hitting BR with a different incident angle. BR then steers the direction of each beam so the beams travel in substantially the same direction after the beam redirection means, (or the beams can also be steered to travel in a plurality of predetermined direction determined by the arrangement of the beam redirection means). Hence, the shape of beam spot BST after BR is substantially the same as P. Therefore, the Lagrange invariant of the resulting beam is increased approximately by n-fold in fast axis and reduced approximately by n-fold in slow axis. The optimized beams (having a beam spot shape as P (e.g. P1 or P2)) from BR can then be focused efficiently into optical fiber or other desired medium. It is obvious many kinds of combination of optics can be made. For example, BDM and OS can be combined into a single optical component. Thus a single optical component can play both roles of BDM and OS. It is also obvious that OS can be combined with BR into a single optical component. The use of a conventional optical system eliminates the need of using expensive and difficult-to-make cylindrical arrays, while ensuring a good beam quality. It is preferred that the optical surface in OS is as little as possible to minimize the loss of power on OS. For example, this conventional optical system can be just a mirror that has only one surface (spherical or aspheric), or a single lens with two optical surfaces, or a lens group comprising a few lenses.

[0069] Some Embodiments for LDA Beam Rearrangement are Disclosed Below.

[0070] An embodiment is shown by the top and side views of the optical path as in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b). EM is the LDA emitter, BM is a laser beam, and the distances of the objective SAC from EM and from the image plane A are the focal length f. The fast axis collimator (FAC) collimates the laser beams from EM in the fast axis into substantially collimated beams that are focused by SAC at image plane A. If the cylinder axis of FAC is parallel with EM (as shown in FIG. 3(c) and FIG. 3(d)), the beam spots focused at A will all have the same x coordinates as EM, and y extension is also the same (FIG. 3d). There will be no beam offsetting. To achieve beam offsetting, FAC can be placed in such a way that its cylinder axis forms a small angle with respect to EM (FIGS. 3aand 3e). If we still let the axis of FAC lie in y-z plane, with such oblique geometry between FAC and EM, the points at EM that have different y coordinates will also have different x coordinates (FIG. 3a). With such arrangement, the images of the points of EM at the image plane A will thus have different but predetermined x″ coordinate changes. The incident angle of the beams at A are different (as shown in FIG. 3b). After fast axis collimator FAC, the beams are not collimated in the slow axis. The function of SAC is several folded. It also collimates the beams coming from EM in slow axis (FIG. 3b), and at the same time focuses the principal rays (central rays of laser beams) from each emitter at plane A (FIG. 3b). In beam shaping, slow axis collimation is important in order to obtain high brightness.

[0071] In this embodiment, the beam redirection (or rearranging) means comprises a group of small mirrors (or prisms, wedges) placed at the image plane A. FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b) show the case of mirrors, where, for clarity, only three mirrors are shown and only the reflection surface of the mirrors are illustrated. The mirrors reflect (prisms or wedges refract) beams at different heights (x) so that the beams that have different incidence angles now travel to the same or a predetermined direction. This can be achieved by offsetting each of the mirrors (or prisms) in the group for a predetermined angle. FIG. 4(a) is the schematic view for using a mirror group MG for the beam redirection. FIG. 4(b) is the schematic illustration for the case of refraction using optical wedges OW (three wedges are shown). In general, if the number of emitters is not considered, such rearrangement thus results in the shape of the beam spots as P2. It is obvious that a group of prisms (such as 45°-90° prisms) can also be used as mirrors by taking advantages of the property of total internal reflection. Therefore, with this embodiment, Lagrange invariant of the resulting beam is increased approximately by n-fold in fast axis and reduced approximately by n-fold in slow axis comparing with the Lagrange invariant of the beams directly emitted from EM, where n is the number of mirrors (or prisms). The collimated beams thus can be made to have similar Lagrange invariant in both x and y directions. It is obvious that other beam redirection means can be used as well, as long as the components has the ability to make the beams with different incident angle travel to substantially the same or a predetermined direction.

[0072] If the number of mirrors in the mirror (or prism/wedge) group is made the same as the number of emitters of LDA, and the angle between EM and FAC is made such so that the image of each emitter falls on only one mirror, respectively, the shape of the resulting beam spot will has a shape as P1. The beam brightness will be increased by about m times (comparing with a shape such as P2), where m is the reciprocal of emitter filling factor of the LDA.

[0073] Therefore, with this embodiment, Lagrange invariant of the resulting beam is increased approximately by n-fold in fast axis and reduced approximately by n-fold in slow axis comparing with the Lagrange invariant of the beams directly emitted from EM. The collimated beams thus can have similar Lagrange invariant in both x and y directions.

[0074] In FIG. 3a, it is preferred that the width of the mirrors d1 in x′ direction substantially equals to the width of the LDA image. The magnification is the ratio of focal lengths of SAC and FAC. If d1 is too large, the filling factor of beam spot could not be minimized and give lower brightness, although beam shaping can still be achieved. If d1 is too small, the image of a single emitter may across two or even more mirrors in the mirror group. Since the light from each mirror travels in different directions, the divergence angle will increase resulting lower brightness. The aberration of lenses FAC and SAC could also increase the divergence angle causing lower brightness. It is preferred that the aberration of SAC and FAC are minimized to achieve the best results.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the beam offsetting means FAC plays both roles of fast axis collimation and beam offsetting. Of course these two functions can be performed with different components. This is shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5(a), FIG. 5(b) and FIG. 5(c). In this embodiment, the beam offsetting means includes CL and PSM. CL is a collimation lens that collimates the beams from LDA emitters in the fast axis. PSM is a prism group comprising a plurality of prisms. The beam paths of a few prisms (PM1, PMm, PMn) in PSM are shown in FIG. 5(c). The relationship between LDA and the PSM are shown in FIG. 5(b). The prisms are made so that the beams are deflected to different but predetermined directions, and thus the beam offsetting is achieved. Same as the above embodiment, and also refer to FIG. 2, beam spot like P can be obtained with the use of OS and the beam redirection means, with all the beams travel to substantially the same direction.

[0076] The embodiment in FIG. 5 used a refraction method to achieve the beam offsetting. The same results can be obtained with the use of reflection method. FIG. 6 shows beam offsetting means including CL and MX comprising a plurality of mirrors that are placed with a predetermined angle offset. Only three mirrors are shown for clarity. The mirror group MX thus reflects the beams after the collimation lens CL to different, but predetermined, directions. The same as the above embodiments, by using OS (or SAC) and the beam redirection means, beam spot like P can be obtained, with all the beams traveling to substantially the same direction. Collimated beams thus can be made to have similar Lagrange invariant in both x and y directions.

[0077] In the embodiments shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the component for beam offsetting is discrete. In FIG. 5, PSM comprises a group of individual prisms, and in FIG. 6 MX comprises a group of mirrors. Beam offsetting components with continuous surface can also be used. Two embodiments of such components are shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7(a) illustrated a twisted mirror TMM. By replacing MX in FIG. 6 with TMM, beam offsetting can also be achieved. FIG. 7(b) and FIG. 7(c) are two different variations of PSM with continuous surfaces as shown by beam-deflection blocks CPM1 and CPM2. Both can be used to replace PSM in FIG. 5 to give similar result. It should be noted that cross-sections similar to PM1, PMm, PMn can also be found in CPM1 and CPM2.

[0078] FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) shows another embodiment in which EM is the LDA emitter, and A is the image plane. The beams are collimated by SAC in slow axis. FL is a field lens, which focuses the principal ray (PR1, PR2, PR3) from the LDA at A (FIG. 8(b)). The beams at fast axis after passing FL and SAC are imaged by FAC at A (FIG. (8a)). The same as the embodiment disclosed above, FAC is placed in such a way that its cylinder axis forms a small angle with respect to EM to achieve beam offsetting.

[0079] With the same principle as the embodiment disclosed above, a beam redirection means such as a mirror group is placed at A. The beams with the principal ray traveling in different directions are redirected by the beam redirection means so that the beams travel in substantially the same direction. FL can also be a cylindrical lens that may have no dioptric power at the x-z plane. SAC could be a toroidal lens with slight different focuses in y-z plane and x-z plane.

[0080] FIG. 9(b) and FIG. 9(c) shows two different schematic views of yet another embodiment achieving the object of beam shaping. The structure of this embodiment is similar to the one shown in FIG. 3, but, rather than using oblique arrangement, a multi-section lens MSL is used, where the cylinder axis of each section of the lens is parallel with the emitter line. FIG. 9(a) shows the schematic view of a multi-section lens in which each section of the lens has a predetermined offset from the section beside it. The beams from various sections of the LDA emitters are thus offset by the multi-section lens and the beams from each section of the lens form beam spots on the image plane A. In fact, any lens system, refractive or reflective optical systems can be used as long as it sends the collimated beams from different section of emitter line to different, but predetermined, directions as shown in FIG. 10 (see below).

[0081] As in the earlier embodiments, the beam spots reach the image plane A with different incident angles. BR is a beam redirection means comprising a plurality of small mirrors placed at the image plane A. Each of the mirrors is placed with a predetermined angle to accommodate a beam spot having a particular incident angle so that all the reflected beams exit from the mirror group BR are steered to have substantially the same direction or any predetermined direction. Such rearrangement thus results in the shape of the beam spots as P1 or P2. It is obvious that a group of prisms (such as 45°-90° prisms) can also be used as mirrors by taking advantages of the property of total internal reflection. Or a group of optical wedges can be used instead of a mirror group so that the beams can be redirected by refraction within the optical wedges to achieve the same results. Therefore, with this embodiment, Lagrange invariant of the resulting beam increased approximately by n-fold in fast axis and reduced approximately by n-fold in slow axis comparing with the Lagrange invariant of the beams directly emitted from EM. And the collimated beams have similar Lagrange invariant in both x and y directions.

[0082] In general, with the current invention, the beam shaping is achieved by the combination action of (a) beam offsetting means such as a cylindrical-like lens obliquely arranged with respect to the LDA emitters, (b) a beam redirection means BR located at a image plane A, such as a mirror group, (c) an arbitrary conventional optical system AOS (such as an refractive optical system, a reflective system, or a catadioptric optical system) placed to collimate the beams in the slow axis, to allow the offset images of the emitters to be formed on beam redirection means and to allow each of the principal rays from LDA emitters to strike upon said beam redirection means (FIG. 10) so the rearranged beams travel in one or a plurality of predetermined directions after the beam redirection means. Beam offsetting can also be achieved by using specially designed lens such as the axial offset lens mentioned earlier without using the oblique arrangement of cylindrical-like lens, or achieved by using other beam offsetting means as shown above. To obtain the same results as mentioned in the embodiments above, or to obtain the beams with optimized Lagrange invariant, multi-plano-mirror can be used as the beam redirection means because the beams are substantially collimated in both fast and slow axes. Multi-spherical or toroidal mirrors are needed as the beam redirection means if the beams are not substantially collimated. To make the redirecting beams travel in substantially the same direction after the beam redirection means, it is obvious that if the beams are not substantially collimated in the x-z plane (ref. FIG. 10(a)), proper inclination and offset of the beam redirection means will be preferred to accommodate the incoming beam so that the exit beam from the beam redirection means to be optimized. For example, if a multi-mirror group is used as the beam redirection means, besides the offset in x-y plane, inclination and offset of the mirror group in x-z plane will be preferred so that the beams after the mirror group travel in substantially the same direction. It is well know that all the laser diode arrays have smile to some extent. In practice, the smile can be compensated to certain extent by varying the offset angles of mirrors or optical wedges in beam redirection means so that the exit beam quality can be still satisfactory even if smile exists in laser diode arrays.

[0083] With beam offsetting means comprising cylindrical-like lens or other specially designed lenses, the beam offsetting is realized by changing the beam outgoing direction of each beam. Beam offsetting means can also comprise optical components that cause translation offsetting of the beams while the beam outgoing direction is substantially unchanged.

[0084] FIG. 11 shows another scheme of the invention in which the beam offset means BDM-TR achieved offsetting by beam translation along the fast axis of the LDA. EM is the emitter line of an LDA. For clarity, only five emitters are shown. BDM is a beam offsetting means. With this optics, the beams from the emitters are collimated in the fast axis (x) and offset from each other along this axis. The offset shown in FIG. 11 is made by the translation of the beams from LDA along the fast axis by BDM-TR as can be seen from the beams outgoing from BDM-TR. The outgoing angles of the beams are substantially unchanged after the offsetting. In other words, the principal ray of each beam from BDM-TR is substantially parallel with optical axis z. The orientations of the beam spots are illustrated in several different coordinate systems (x, y; x1, y1; x2, y2; x3, y3). OS-1 is an arbitrary optical system that collimates the beams in the slow axis (y) and images the offset beams onto a beam redirection means BR, with each beam hitting BR with a different incident angle to form a rearranged beam spot P, in which the beams are aligned along the fast axis. BR then steers the direction of each beam so the beams travel in substantially the same direction after the beam redirection means, (or the beams can also be steered to travel in a plurality of predetermined direction determined by the arrangement of the beam redirection means). Hence, the shape of beam spot BST after BR is substantially the same as P. Therefore, the Lagrange invariant of the resulting beam is increased approximately by n-fold in fast axis and reduced approximately by n-fold in slow axis. The optimized beams (having a beam spot shape as P (e.g. P1 or P2)) from BR can then be focused efficiently into optical fiber or other desired medium. It is obvious many kinds of combination of optics can be made. For example, BDM-TR and OS-1 can be combined into a single optical component. Thus a single optical component can play both roles of BDM-TR and OS-1. It is also obvious that OS-1 can be combined with BR into a single optical component. It is preferred that the optical surface in OS-1 is as little as possible to minimize the loss of power on OS-1. For example, this optical system can be just a mirror that has only one surface (spherical or aspheric), or a single lens with two optical surfaces, or a lens group comprising a few lenses. However, if necessary, the optical system can include cylindrical systems.

[0085] Many optical setups can be used for translation offsetting of the beams. In fact, any arrangement of optics can be used if it divides and translates the linear beam array such as CS (ignoring the spacing between the emitters) into an offset beam shape like OS-CS illustrated in FIG. 11(a), in which CS is divided and each divided beams are offset from each other along the fast axis by translation. Some examples of beam translation-offsetting optics are shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. In most of the cases, the translation is realized by the offset arrangement of optical elements in the beam offsetting means. Either refractive or reflective elements can be used as the optical elements in the beam offsetting means. It is preferred that the beams from laser diode array are collimated in the fast axis before the dividing and translation. In FIG. 12(a), an optical plate group WG1 is used for beam offsetting after the beam from emitter EM is collimated by FAC, wherein only three plates are shown for clarity. FIG. 12(b) to FIG. 12(d) illustrate the process of translation offsetting caused by three optical plates. FIG. 12(e) to FIG. 12(f) show two views of another beam offsetting optics comprising a group of prisms. The beam entering the prism group PSMG is BM-IN. The exiting beams are offset from each other due to the offset between the prisms (PSMA) in PSMG. The beam path in each prism in the PSMG is illustrated in FIG. 12(g). FIG. 13(a) and FIG. 13(c) schematically illustrated two views of a beam offsetting optics that divides and offsets beams from the emitters by translation, in which WG2 comprises a group of optical wedges of different sizes. FIG. 13(b) and 13(d) illustrated a translation offsetting optics similar to that in FIG. 13(a), but the optical wedges in the wedge group WG3 are the same in dimension in this case. FIG. 13(e) is an example in which a mirror group MG-TR is used for the beam dividing and translation. Laser beams from the emitters strike on the mirror group with an angle. The beam that falls on each mirror surface is offset from eath other by translation due to the offset of the mirrors in the mirror group. FIG. 13(f) shows the side view of the mirror group.

[0086] The arbitrariness of AOS in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) has been seen in some embodiments mentioned above, and it is further exemplified with the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, in which the AOS is a mirror MR1. In the optical path shown in FIG. 14, the beams from LDA are offset by the beam offsetting means FAC such as a cylindrical-like optics that is obliquely arranged with respect to the emitter line of the LDA as shown in FIG. 3(e). The offset beams are imaged by mirror MR1 onto the beam redirection means BRM (focused or defocused) where beams can be redirected to one or a plurality of predetermined directions according to the arrangement of BRM. MR1 also collimates the beams in the slow axis. In FIG. 14, the beams are shown to be directed (or rearranged) to substantially the same direction and can be focused with focus means FM1 and sent into a laser medium (FB1), a fiber or other beam transmission means. The compactness of the system using MR1 is obvious.

[0087] It was mentioned earlier in FIG. 2 that either BDM and OS or BR and OS can be combined. As an embodiment, FIG. 15 shows a single small mirror that can be used for the construction of a combined module that has both the functions of OS and BR. The flexibility of the beam shaping method can also be exemplified by the embodiment shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17. In FIG. 16, MR1 is used as OS. This system is similar to the one shown in FIG. 14, but in this embodiment, MR1 also acts as part of the beam focusing means. The embodiment in FIG. 17 is similar as the one in FIG. 16, but in this embodiment MR1 is used as both OS and the beam focusing means.

[0088] With the components described above, a high-efficiency diode pump solid state laser can be obtained, comprising a laser medium such as a laser fiber with its core doped with active species (for cladding pumping fiber laser) or a laser rod (or disc) doped with active species, beam focusing means, and a beam source comprising at least one laser diode array along with beam redirection means, beam offsetting means for collimating the beams from the emitters of said laser diode array and offsetting the beams along the fast axis, and a conventional optics for collimating the laser beams from said beam offsetting means in the slow axis and allowing each offset beam to strike upon said beam redirection means so that the beams travel in at least one predetermined direction after the beam redirection means, and wherein said beam focusing means focuses the beam from said beam source onto the aperture of said laser medium. The laser medium can be a laser crystal or laser glass doped with active species.

[0089] FIG. 18 shows an embodiment of a fiber laser, where EM is LDA emitter, and BM is the laser beam. The beam offsetting means L1 is a fast axis collimation lens that is tilted so that its cylindrical axis forms a small angle with the emitter line of LDA. The offset beams after L1 travel through a conventional optics L2 to reach a multi-mirror group MMG, where the offset beams having different incident angles are steered to travel in one direction. In this embodiment, L2 collimates the beams in slow axis and deflect the beams outgoing from L1 to strike on to MMG along the fast axis. The beam spot after MMG is optimized and has similar Lagrange invariant in both fast and slow axis. L3 is a focusing lens that focuses the collimated beam from MMG on the aperture of a laser fiber FB.

[0090] In all those embodiments disclosed above, the beam redirection means has the flexibility to redirect beams to one or a plurality of directions. For example, when a group of mirrors are used in a beam redirection means, the mirrors can be divided into several groups, with each group directing beams that reach that group to a predetermined but substantially the same direction. The beams from each group can then be focused into a plurality of fibers, respectively. An embodiment of two-way output is shown in FIG. 19. This embodiment is similar to the one shown in FIG. 18, but the beam redirection means including two groups of mirrors. Each group of mirrors is arranged in such a way that the beams striking on that group of mirrors are redirected to substantially the same direction. Thus, two shaped beam outputs can be obtained from BRM that can be focused into two fibers, respectively. The laser beam from the two fibers can be used for end-pumping of solid state lasers, for example.

[0091] These methods and systems described above can also be used for transmission of power from laser diode arrays through an optical fiber. High power can be transmitted because the method disclosed above allowing high efficiency in coupling laser power from a plurality of laser diode arrays into an optical fiber. The high power transmitted in the optical fiber can then be used, for instance, for material processing and medical surgery directly.

[0092] Thus, a fiber coupled laser diode array system of this invention comprises at least one laser diode array, at least one optical fiber, focusing means, and a beam source comprising at least one laser diode array, beam offsetting means, imaging optics and beam redirection means, wherein said beam offsetting means collimates the beams from said laser diode array in the fast axis and offsets the beams from the emitters of said laser diode array along the fast axis, and said imaging optics collimates the beams in the slow axis and allows each of the offset beams to strike upon said beam redirection means so the beams travel in at least one predetermined direction after the beam redirection means, and wherein said focusing focuses the beam from said beam redirection means onto the aperture of said optical fiber.

[0093] The foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modification and variation are possible in light of above teaching. For example, optics can be used in certain cases to change the spacing of emitters of an LDA before the beam offsetting. Optical relays or polarizers can be used for combination of beams from several LDA's. Hybrid or plastic components can be used in some cases as well. The beam redirection means can be made into several groups with each group sending beams into a particular direction, respectively, functioning as a beam splitter. The beam after the redirection means can be used directly for material processing and medical therapeutics. The embodiments disclosed above for beam rearranging can also be used to optimize the focal spot of a 2-D array at the slow axis and fast axis. An embodiment is shown in FIG. 20, where a plurality of FAC's are used for beams from the 2-D array emitters, and each functions the same as in the embodiments mentioned earlier. Moreover, this beam shaping procedure is universal. Not only beams from laser diodes, but also other linear illumination sources can be reshaped and rearranged by the method disclosed in the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention. While specific values have been used and listed in the foregoing embodiments for the sake of easy to understand, they do not set limit on the invention teaching, which is properly described in the claims. The particular values and configurations discussed above can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate particular embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.