In various embodiments, multiple laser emitters are helically arranged around a central axis and emit their individual beams toward the central axis. A collection of mirrors is disposed at the central axis, and each mirror is angled so that the reflected beams all exit the helical stack, in parallel and vertically stacked, in the same direction toward a shared exit point.

A system and method for stabilizing and combining multiple emitted beams into a single system using both WBC and WDM techniques.

A laser device (100), comprising: a source of electromagnetic radiation (S) that comprises at least one reflecting surface (RS), said source (S) being configured to generate a light beam that follows an optical path (OPa; OP) external to said source (S); a dispersive stage (6) located outside said source (S) along said optical path (OP) of said light beam generated by said source (S), said dispersive stage (6) comprising at least one axis of reflection that forms an angle (Θ; cp) with said optical path (OPa; OP) of said light beam and being configured to reflect: at least a first spectral portion of said light beam generated by said source (S) towards said source (S); and a second spectral portion of said light generated by the source (S) along said axis of reflection, wherein said at least one reflecting surface (RS) and said dispersive stage (6) form at least one variable-length external optical cavity (RS, L, 6); at least one collimating lens (C) located along said optical path (OPa; OP) and configured to collimate said light beam coming from said source (S); a collimator module (3), in which said source (S) and said at least one collimating lens (C) are mounted; and an actuator (24) configured to vary a length (L) of said a variable-length external optical cavity (RS, L, 6). In said device: said actuator (24) is mechanically coupled to said collimator module (3); and said actuator (24) is configured to vary the length (L) of said at least one external optical cavity of the variable-length gain medium (RS, L, 6) by moving said collimator (3).

A swept light source of the present invention keeps a coherence length of an output beam long over an entire sweep wavelength range. A gain of a gain medium is changed with time in response to a wavelength sweep and the coherence length is kept maximum. The gain of the gain medium is kept close to a lasing threshold and an unsaturated gain range of the gain medium is narrowed over the entire sweep wavelength range. An SOA current waveform data acquiring method of driving while keeping the coherence length long, a novel coherence length measuring method, and an optical deflector suitable for the swept light source are also disclosed.

The external cavity laser module includes a quantum cascade laser element, a MEMS diffraction grating, a support plate having a first surface on which the quantum cascade laser element and the MEMS diffraction grating are disposed and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a cooling element disposed on a side facing the second surface of the support plate to overlap with the quantum cascade laser element and the MEMS diffraction grating. In the second surface of the support plate, a concave portion recessed in a direction from the second surface toward the first surface is provided in at least a region overlapping with the quantum cascade laser element and the MEMS diffraction grating when viewed from the thickness direction. At least a portion of the cooling element facing the support plate is inserted into the concave portion.

A semiconductor laser device includes semiconductor laser elements emitting laser beams having different wavelengths from each other and a partial reflection element. The semiconductor laser elements and the partial reflection element constitute respective ends of an external resonator. Further, there is a transmissive wavelength dispersion element located on optical paths of the laser beams between the semiconductor laser elements and the partial reflection element and at a position where the laser beams are superimposed. The transmissive wavelength dispersion element has a wavelength dispersion property, and changes traveling directions of the laser beams in a first plane including the optical axes of the laser beams to combine the laser beams to have one optical axis. Also, there is an asymmetric refraction optical element located on an optical path between the transmissive wavelength dispersion element and the partial reflection element.

In various embodiments, the concentration and deposition of siloxane materials within components of laser systems, such as laser resonators, is reduced or minimized utilizing mitigation systems that may also supply gas having low siloxane levels into multiple different components in series or in parallel.

In various embodiments, emitter modules include a laser source and (a) a refractive optic, (b) an output coupler, or (c) both a refractive optic and an output coupler. Either or both of these may be situated on mounts that facilitate two-axis rotation. The mount may be, for example, a conventional, rotatively adjustable “tip/tilt” mount or gimbal arrangement. In the case of the refractive optic, either the optic itself or the beam path may be adjusted; that is, the optic may be on a tip/tilt mount or the optic may be replaced with two or more mirrors each on tip/tilt mount.

A system and method for tuning and infrared source laser in the Mid-IR wavelength range. The system and method comprising, at least, a plurality of individually tunable emitters, each emitter emitting a beam having a unique wavelength, a grating, a mirror positioned after the grating to receive at least one refracted order of light of at least one beam and to redirect the beam back towards the grating, and a micro-electro-mechanical systems device containing a plurality of adjustable micro-mirrors.

Methods for wavelength determination of widely tunable lasers and systems thereof may be implemented with solid-state laser based photonic systems based on photonic integrated circuit technology as well as discrete table top systems such as widely-tunable external cavity lasers and systems. The methods allow integrated wavelength control enabling immediate system wavelength calibration without the need for external wavelength monitoring instruments. Wavelength determination is achieved using a monolithic solid-state based optical cavity with a well-defined transmission or reflection function acting as a wavelength etalon. The solid-state etalon may be used with a wavelength shift tracking component, e.g., a non-balanced interferometer, to calibrate the entire laser emission tuning curve within one wavelength sweep. The method is particularly useful for integrated photonic systems based on Vernier-filter mechanism where the starting wavelength is not known a-priori, or for compact widely tunable external cavity lasers eliminating the need for calibration of wavelength via external instruments.