Optical: systems and elements – Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels – By surface composed of lenticular elements
Patent
1998-01-20
2000-09-05
Epps, Georgia
Optical: systems and elements
Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels
By surface composed of lenticular elements
359627, G02B 2710
Patent
active
061151858
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system for the formation and guidance of a radiation field of one or more solid or semiconductor lasers, especially a radiation field of an array or field arrangement of one or more solid lasers or semiconductor lasers, with a radiation transformation optic for producing a defined radiation field, wherein the optic has refractive elements. The invention furthermore relates to a method for forming and guiding a radiation field of one or more solid lasers or semiconductor lasers, especially a radiation field of an array or field arrangement of one or more solid and/or semiconductor lasers having a radiation transforming optic to produce a defined radiation field, the optic having refractive elements.
Solid and semiconductor lasers have found increasing use in the machining of materials and in medical technology.
One broad application of solid lasers is in the machining of materials. The range of the application of solid lasers is established by the required wavelength of the radiation, the power, and the shape of the lasers for the particular application. Since high beam qualities can be produced with solid lasers, especially in low-power classes, which in conjunction with short wavelengths and appropriate machining optics permit very small focal point diameters, applications of solid lasers are possible especially in the case of hard-to-machine and highly reflective materials, and in applications in which high machining precision is required. Another advantage to be mentioned is the great frequency bandwidths of solid lasers, in which many modes vibrate simultaneously, in contrast for example to gas lasers. An additional feature of a solid laser is its small size, typically about 8 cm long with a typical diameter of 1 cm. Applications of solid lasers in the field of metal machining include material ablation, boring, cutting, seaming and welding.
In recent years diode lasers have experienced rapid development. Typical applications are the machining of materials as well as the pumping of solid-state lasers.
High-power laser diodes typically possess active media with a cross section of 1 .mu.m.times.100 .mu.m. On account of the geometry of the active medium, the radiation which is yielded by the diode lasers is characterized by an elliptical beam cross section, great divergence in the narrow direction and relatively great divergence in the broad direction known as the junction plane. In order to achieve higher power densities with diode lasers it is common to combine several laser diodes into laser diode fields or arrays and focus their radiation. For the production of radiation fields, laser diodes, if they are arranged in a row, are disposed with the long axis of their elliptical beam cross sections running parallel to one another. Since the beam quality in the narrow direction is limited by diffraction and is about 1,000 times more limited by diffraction in the junction plane, the radiation emitted by a laser diode array cannot be focused to a small, circular spot with cylindrical optics and spherical optics or a combination thereof, which limits its application to, for example, the injection of the radiation into an optical fiber or to the so-called "end-on pumping" of solid lasers in conjunction with a laser diode array.
Even in the above-mentioned solid lasers, especially those of a low-power class using their high radiation qualities, it is also necessary, in order to produce expanded radiation fields with a high power density, to combine several such solid lasers into arrays or fields.
A problem which occurs in the case of large field arrays of solid lasers and diode lasers is the removal of the heat formed by lasing, which then requires appropriate cooling measures, so that spaces must be left between the individual solid lasers or active media, in order to provide heat sinks or build cooling channels for carrying cooling fluids. Such cooling of course greatly limits the pack density with which the lasers can be combined into laser arrays
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Du Keming
Loosen Peter
Epps Georgia
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung
Mack Ricky
LandOfFree
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