US 12,444,908 B2
High-brightness spatial beam combining of laser modules yielding a common image plane
David A. Rockwell, Culver City, CA (US); Fabio Di Teodoro, Hacienda Heights, CA (US); Marco A. Avila, McKinney, TX (US); and Douglas W. Wolfe, La Habra Heights, CA (US)
Assigned to Raytheon Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/304,234.
Prior Publication US 2022/0407293 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. H01S 5/00 (2006.01); G02B 5/00 (2006.01); G02B 27/30 (2006.01); H01S 5/40 (2006.01); G02F 1/37 (2006.01)
CPC H01S 5/4025 (2013.01) [G02B 27/30 (2013.01); H01S 5/0071 (2013.01); H01S 5/0092 (2013.01); G02B 5/001 (2013.01); G02F 1/37 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
at least three laser diode modules that are spatially separated, each laser diode module configured to generate an optical beam that propagates at a unique angle relative to optical beams generated by other laser diode modules; and
an optical element having at least one entrance surface and at least one exit surface, the optical element configured to receive the optical beam generated by each laser diode module at the at least one entrance surface and output each optical beam through the at least one exit surface such that (i) the output optical beams are closely spaced, substantially the same size, and substantially parallel to each other at a common distance downstream from the optical element and (ii) the optical beams all share a common downstream image plane.