Lockheed Martin Corporation

Aculight Corporation

Thomas H Loftus

Charles A Lemaire

Eric C Honea

Anping Liu

Roy D Mead

Charles E Hamilton

Andrew J W Brown

Fabio Di Teodoro

Christopher D Brooks

Steven C Tidwell

A ring-laser system that includes a plurality of ring-laser gain elements and a spectral-beam-combining output stage configured to combine a plurality of beams coming from the gain elements into an output beam and that includes chromatic-dispersion compensation. In some embodiments, the output stage includes a plurality of highly reflective dielectric-coated focussing elements. In some embodiments, the output stage includes a plurality of high-efficiency dielectric-coated grating elements. In some embodiments, the output stage includes a mostly reflective but partially transmissive output mirror and a highly reflective beam-reversing mirror configured to reflect a majority of a backward-traveling signal beam such that it becomes forward traveling. In some embodiments, each gain element further includes a photonic-crystal-rod power amplifier. Some embodiments have an amplitude modulator configured to pulse the plurality of beams, and a timing controller configured to synchronize the pulses of the plurality of beams. Some embodiments further include a non-linear wavelength-conversion device.

Spectral-beam combining for high-power fiber-ring-laser systems

A method and apparatus use a photonic-crystal fiber having a very large core while maintaining a single transverse mode. In some fiber lasers and amplifiers having large cores problems exist related to energy being generated at multiple-modes (i.e., polygamy), and of mode hopping (i.e., promiscuity) due to limited control of energy levels and fluctuations. The problems of multiple-modes and mode hopping result from the use of large-diameter waveguides, and are addressed by the invention. This is especially true in lasers using large amounts of energy (i.e., lasers in the one-megawatt or more range). By using multiple small waveguides in parallel, large amounts of energy can be passed through a laser, but with better control such that the aforementioned problems can be reduced. An additional advantage is that the polarization of the light can be maintained better than by using a single fiber core.

Spectral beam combination of laser beams

Apparatus and method for spectral-beam combining of light from a plurality of high-power lasers (e.g., fiber MOPA lasers) that, in some embodiments, use substantially identical diffraction gratings in a 1-D non-parallel, mutually compensating configuration to combine non-parallel converging input beams in one plane each having a slightly different successively higher wavelength into a single output beam of high quality. In other embodiments, an output grating and one or more input gratings in a 1-D parallel, mutually compensating configuration combine non-parallel input beams in one plane into a single output beam of high quality. In other embodiments, a 2-D plurality of input gratings in a non-parallel configuration combine a plurality of non-parallel input beams not in one plane each having a slightly different successively higher wavelength into a set of converging beams in one plane directed towards an output grating that compensates for chromatic dispersions introduced by the input gratings.

Method and apparatus for spectral-beam combining of fanned-in laser beams with chromatic-dispersion compensation using a plurality of diffractive gratings

Apparatus and method for spectral-beam combining light from a plurality of high-power fiber lasers that, in some embodiments, use two substantially identical diffraction gratings in a parallel, mutually compensating configuration to combine a plurality of separate parallel input beams each having a slightly different successively higher wavelength into a single output beam of high quality. In other embodiments, a single diffraction grating is used to combine a plurality of different wavelengths, wherein the input laser beams are obtained from very narrow linewidth sources to reduce chromatic dispersion. In some embodiments, diagnostics and adjustments of wavelengths and/or positions and angles are made dynamically in real time to maintain the combination of the plurality input beams into a single high-quality output beam.

Method and apparatus for spectral-beam combining of fiber-amplified laser beams using high-efficiency dielectric diffractive gratings

Method and apparatus for spectral-beam combining of high-power fiber lasers

Apparatus and method for spectral-beam combining of high-power fiber lasers

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Thomas H Loftus