In various embodiments, wavelength beam combining laser systems incorporate optical cross-coupling mitigation systems and/or engineered partially reflective output couplers in order to reduce or substantially eliminate unwanted back-reflection of stray light.

A light source unit according to an embodiment has a first light source which emits light in a first wavelength range, a second light source which emits light in a second wavelength range which differs from the light in the first wavelength range, a dichroic mirror to which the light in the first wavelength range and the light in the second wavelength range are incident from directions which differ from each other and which reflects or transmits the light in the first wavelength range and the light in the second wavelength range, and an optical device which is disposed on an optical path between the dichroic mirror and the second light source, and the optical device is a spectral member to which a coating is applied which transmits the light in the second wavelength range and reflects or absorbs the light in the first wavelength range.

A laser apparatus includes a plurality of laser modules each generating a laser line in a working plane. The laser modules are juxtaposed so that the laser lines generated by the modules combine into a single laser line. Each of the laser modules includes at least one laser line generator. The laser line generator includes two linear arrays of strips of laser diodes each emitting a focused laser beam. The two linear arrays are arranged parallel to each other so that the strips are staggered. The two sets of parallel laser beams generated by the two linear arrays of strips, respectively, are merged into a single laser line by a set of mirrors. The linear arrays of strips of laser diodes and the mirrors are arranged so that the two sets of laser beams trace optical paths of the same length before being merged into a single laser line.

A projection display unit (1) includes a projection optical system (10A), a polarization separation device (15), and a detection optical system (10B). The projection optical system includes an illuminator (11), a projection lens (16), and a light valve (12) that modulates illumination light supplied from the illuminator on the basis of an image signal, and outputs the modulated illumination light toward the projection lens. The polarization separation device (15) is disposed between the light valve and the projection lens. The polarization separation device separates entering light into a first polarized component and a second polarized component, and outputs the first polarized component and the second polarized component in respective directions that are different from each other. The detection optical system includes an imaging device (13) and a reduction optical system (14). The imaging device is disposed in a position that is optically conjugate with a position of the light valve. The reduction optical system is disposed between the imaging device and the polarization separation device. The imaging device receives, via the projection lens and the polarization separation device, light based on detection invisible light. A transmittance adjuster is provided between the polarization separation device and the imaging device. The transmittance adjuster adjusts transmittance of at least part of a bundle of passing light rays derived from the invisible light.

Systems and methods for scattering or deviating a laser beam are provided. A system utilizing a lenticular sheet and a laser source projecting a laser beam onto the lenticular sheet produces shapes such as laser cones. Minor adjustments of the laser source with respect to the lenticular sheet may vary the size and shape of the laser cone that provides for improved Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) systems. A diffraction grating added in the path of the laser beam causes a laser pattern of a matrix of lines to be produced which also provides for improved. Interference between multiple lenticular sheets may be used to deviate a laser beam to protect military assets from laser-guided projectiles and/or laser acquisition.

A processing optical unit for workpiece processing includes a birefringent polarizer configured to split at least one input laser beam into a pair of partial beams polarized perpendicularly to one another. The processing optical unit further includes a focusing optical unit arranged downstream of the birefringent polarizer in the beam path and configured to focus the pair of partial beams onto focus zones in a focal plane. The processing optical unit is configured to produce at least partly overlapping focus zones of the pair of partial beams.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for using microlens arrays for parallel micropatterning of features. In some embodiments, a system includes a laser that emits a laser beam, a beam homogenizer configured to shape the laser beam into a shaped laser beam having a beam profile, and a lenslet array. The beam homogenizer shapes the laser beam such that at least a portion of the beam profile is substantially uniform in power. The lenslets of the lenslet array have the same shape and each receive a respective portion of the shaped laser beam to output a plurality of laser sub-beams. The plurality of laser sub-beams can be directed toward one or more layers of material to generate or modify a plurality of features on the one or more layers in parallel.

An optical component for illuminating a sample region with a periodic light pattern comprises: a first waveguide, a further waveguide and an optical splitter. The optical splitter has an input for receiving light, a first output and a second output. The first waveguide is optically coupled to the first output, to direct the first input light into the sample region in a first direction. The second output is optically coupled to the sample region to direct second input light into the sample region in a second direction. The further waveguide is arranged to receive third input light which is directed into the sample region in a third direction. The first direction, second direction and third direction are different from one another. The first and second input light interferes to form a periodic pattern in the sample region. The optical component may be used for structured illumination microscopy.

A beam coupling device includes a light source, optical units, and a coupling optical system. The light source includes light emitters arranged in a first direction and a second direction, to emit light beams having a light ray direction intersecting the first and second directions from each of the light emitters. The optical units are arranged to guide each light beam for each set of light emitters arranged in the first direction in the light source. The coupling optical system is arranged to couple the light beams guided by each optical unit. Each of the optical units is arranged to direct outward the light ray direction of the light beam emitted by a light emitter that is located outside in the first direction for the set of light emitters, to guide the light beam from the light emitter into the coupling optical system.

In various embodiments, alignment systems for laser resonators generate near-field and/or far-field images of input beams produced by the laser resonators to enable the alignment of the input beams.