摘要 |
An external-resonator laser system having multiple laser elements is configured to permit each laser to undergo individual amplification notwithstanding optical beam combination. In this way, overall output power may be scaled in a desired fashion, depending on the selected characteristics of the optical amplifier elements. To achieve additional power, each of the amplifiers may implemented as a phased array. Viewed more generally, a phased-array configuration affords beam combining in two stages, with each contributing input source itself composed of multiple sources whose outputs have been combined. If each phased-array source emits at a different wavelength, this design offers a multi-wavelength output whose power level may be scaled in accordance with the number and character of the devices forming each phased array.
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