The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 25, 1991
Filed:
Oct. 30, 1989
James R Leger, Groton, MA (US);
Gary J Swanson, Lexington, MA (US);
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for coherent beam combining of lasers and for lateral mode control is disclosed, comprising a miniature Talbot cavity having at least a first and second surface. The first surface is to receive light from said lasers, and the second surface contains a reflecting mirror. In one embodiment, the mirror spaced apart from said first surface by a distance Z=nd.sup.2 /.lambda. where n is a nonnegative integer, .lambda. is the laser wavelength, and d is the laser aperture spacing. In this embodiment, the mirror is divided into reflecting and non-reflecting portions, the reflecting portions patterned to reflect only that portion of the light from said lasers having a half-period shift corresponding to a fundamental lateral mode. In another embodiment, the mirror is spaced apart from the first surface by a distance Z, such that nd.sup.2 /.lambda.<Z<(n+1)d.sup.2 /.lambda., where n is a nonnegative integer, .lambda. is the laser wavelength, and d is the laser aperture spacing. In both embodiments, a lenslet array may be place to receive the light from the lasers, the lenslet array being separated from the mirror by the distance Z.