COMBINING BEAMS OF RADIATION

• Main Authors: JAMES L. MUNROE, P.G DEBARYSHE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.07.1976
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; ELECTRICITY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; SEPARATION; TRANSPORTING

1502801 Lasers JERSEY NUCLEARAVCO ISOTOPES Inc 30 Jan 1975 [30 Jan 1974] 4121/75 Heading H1C [Also in Division G2] In a laser system in which a plurality of sequentially pulsed lasers 44, Fig. 4, have their outputs directed into a generally common path by a synchronized rotating optical structure which may comprise a prism 46 or an array of angled mirrors 74, Fig. 5, the dynamic angular variation of the pulse radiation outputs produced in the common path by movement of the rotating structure during each pulse period is minimized by a compensating optical system. In the Fig. 4 arrangement compensation is effected by the combination of a so-called "K" mirror 56 and an array of angled mirrors 60, these optical components being rotated in opposite directions with the "K" mirror driven at one half of the angular velocity w of the prism 46. A synchronizer 50 co-ordinates the respective drive motors 48, 54, 62 and the pulses from lasers 44. The combination of a plane mirror and a spaced V-shaped mirror form the "K" mirror. Alternatively a dove, reversion or Pechan prism may be used. The Fig. 5 arrangement has a compensating structure consisting of parallel reflecting surfaces 78, 80 of a rotated rhombic prism 76, the prism being driven in synchronism with the mirror array 74 so as to be aligned with each operative laser in turn and to direct that laser output into a common path 82. In a modification, Fig. 6 (not shown), the beam 75 between the array and the prism is arranged to converge towards the rotation axis, the reflecting surfaces 78, 80 of the shorter prism then required being such as to receive this radiation and transmit it along the common path. Further compensation is obtainable by including an angularly displaced rotated optical flat in the radiation path, Fig. 9 (not shown). A plurality of such laser systems may have their combined outputs themselves combined as shown in Fig. 7, in which each system comprises plural lasers 104 and a synchronized rotating optical combiner 106, and the common path outputs are combined together by a rotating optical combiner 108. As an alternative lasers 116, Fig. 8, having high repetition rate output pulses have their outputs decombined at 126 into separate paths 120, the separate outputs of all the lasers being then combined together into a single common path by a combiner 122.