METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMBINING LIGHT SOURCES IN A PUMP LASER ARRAY

摘要

An apparatus for providing pump light (50) of a first wavelength ?1 to a laser (32) that emits a second wavelength ?2 has first and second lasers (12a, b) of the wavelength ?? to direct light along first and second axes (A,B) in a first direction. The first and second axes define a first plane PI. To form a composite light beam (50) of wavelength ?1, a filter apparatus (40) has a first filter (Fl) on a first surface (36) at an oblique angle to the first and second axes (A,B) and that transmits ?? and reflects ?2. A second filter (F2) on a second surface (54) parallel to the first surface (36), reflects ?? and transmits ?2. A third filter (F3) formed on the first surface (36) coplanar with the first filter (Fl) reflects ?? and transmits ?2. The filter apparatus (40) re-aligns the first and second axes (A,B) along a second plane P2, orthogonal to P 1 and parallel to the first direction and prevents feedback from the pumped laser (32) to the first and second lasers (12a, b).