Abstract: A semiconductor laser device is disclosed that includes a laser resonator situated to produce a laser beam, with the laser resonator including an angled distributed Bragg reflector (a-DBR) region including first and second ends defining an a-DBR region length corresponding to a Bragg resonance condition with the first end being uncleaved and including a first mode hop region having a first end optically coupled to the a-DBR region first end and extending a first mode hop region length associated with the a-DBR region length to a second end so as to provide a variable longitudinal mode selection for the laser beam.

Abstract: Beam compressors include separated surfaces having positive and negative optical powers. A surface spacing is selected so that a collimated beam input to the beam compressor is output as a collimated beam. In some examples, beam compressors are situated to compress a laser beam stack that includes beams associated with a plurality of laser diodes. Beam compression ratios are typically selected so that a compressed beam stack focused into an optical waveguide has a numerical aperture corresponding to the numerical aperture of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: Optical waveguide cores having refractive index profiles that vary angularly about a propagation axis of the core can provide single-mode operation with larger core diameters than conventional waveguides. In one representative embodiment, an optical waveguide comprises a core that extends along a propagation axis and has a refractive index profile that varies angularly about the propagation axis. The optical waveguide can also comprise a cladding disposed about the core and extending along the propagation axis. The refractive index profile of the core can vary angularly along a length of the propagation axis.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of input fibers including one or more signal fibers and one or more beam dump fibers, a signal combiner having an input end coupled to the plurality of input fibers so as to couple portions of one or more signal beams respectively propagating in one or more of the signal fibers to form a combiner beam, an output fiber coupled to an output end of the signal combiner so as to receive the combiner beam, and a beam dump coupled to at least one of the one or more beam dump fibers so as to receive a light beam propagating from the output fiber that is associated with the combiner beam.

Abstract: In an example, a tandem pumped fiber amplifier may include a seed laser, one or more diode pumps, and a single or plural active core fiber. The single or plural active core fiber may include a first section to operate as an oscillator and a second different section to operate as a power amplifier. The one or more diode pumps may be optically coupled to the first section of the single or plural active core fiber, and the seed laser may be optically coupled to the single active core or an innermost core of the plural active core fiber.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are Low Size Weight and Power efficient Laser Diode pump modules and High Power Fiber Amplifiers incorporating such pump modules for amplifying laser light produced by a seed laser. The pump modules are configured for forced fluid cooling, and are provided with cooling channels that allow for varying combinations of a coolant mass flow rate F of the coolant, a pressure drop P of the coolant, and a steady state temperature T of the laser diodes in the pump modules, uniquely and significantly, and thereby allowing for optimizing such variables for a particular application.

Abstract: Multi-beam, multi-wavelength processing systems include two or more lasers configured to provide respective beams to a substrate. The beams have wavelengths, pulse durations, beam areas, beam intensities, pulse energies, polarizations, repetition rates, and other beam properties that are independently selectable. Substrate distortion in processes requiring local heating can be reduced by preheating with a large area beam at a first wavelength followed by exposure to a focused beam at a second wavelength so as to heat a local area to a desired process temperature. For some processing, multiple wavelengths are selected to obtain a desired energy deposition within a substrate.

Abstract: Methods, systems and an apparatus relating to a heat spreader to be coupled to a heat source having a heat source coefficient of thermal expansion (HS CTE), the heat spreader comprising an anisotropic material having a high expansion axis. The heat spreader also including a surface to be coupled to the heat source, wherein the high expansion axis of the anisotropic material is oblique to the surface of the heat spreader and wherein the high expansion axis of the anisotropic material is oriented at a first angle of rotation about a first axis of the heat spreader wherein the first angle of rotation is selected to optimize a match of a first CTE of the heat spreader with the HS CTE.

Abstract: A high brightness diode laser package includes a plurality of flared laser oscillator waveguides arranged on a stepped surface to emit respective laser beams in one or more emission directions, a plurality of optical components situated to receive the laser beams from the plurality of flared laser oscillator waveguides and to provide the beams in a closely packed relationship, and an optical fiber optically coupled to the closely packed beams for coupling the laser beams out of the diode laser package.

Abstract: In an example, a tandem pumped fiber amplifier may include a seed laser, one or more diode pumps, and a plural core fiber including a first core and a second core, the second core surrounding the first core. The plural core fiber may include a first section to operate as an oscillator and a second different section to operate as a power amplifier. The one or more diode pumps may be optically coupled to the first section of the plural core fiber, and the seed laser may be optically coupled to the first core.

Abstract: A device for cooling a laser diode pump comprising a Low Size Weight Power Efficient (SWAP) Laser Diode (LSLD) assembly, including a laser diode coupled to a submount on a first surface, the submount comprising a first thermally conductive material and a heatsink coupled to a second surface of the submount, wherein the heatsink comprises a second thermally conductive material, the heatsink comprising one or more members formed on a side opposite the coupled submount.

Abstract: A method of non-ablatively laser patterning a multi-layer structure, the multi-layer structure including a substrate, a first layer disposed on the substrate, a second layer disposed on the first layer, and a third layer disposed on the second layer, the method including generating at least one laser pulse having laser parameters selected for non-ablatively changing the conductivity a selected portion of the third layer such that the selected portion becomes non-conductive, and directing the pulse to the multi-layer structure, wherein the conductivity of the first layer is not substantially changed by the pulse.

Abstract: A fiber laser system comprises a main body, wherein the main body includes one or more fiber laser system components and a first wall hingedly attached to the main body along a first edge, the first wall having a first wall open position and a first wall closed position and a plurality of feed fiber management and splicing components mounted to the first wall. Additionally and/or alternatively, the laser system may comprise a cooling plate hingedly attached to the main body, the cooling plate has a cooling plate open position and a cooling plate closed position. Additionally and/or alternatively, the laser system may include a fiber management tray hingedly mounted to the cooling plate, the fiber management tray having a fiber management tray open position and a fiber management tray closed position.

Abstract: A broad area semiconductor diode laser device includes a multiple flared oscillator waveguide including a plurality of component flared oscillator waveguides, each component flared oscillator waveguide including a multimode high reflector facet, a partial reflector facet spaced apart from the high reflector facet, and a flared current injection region extending and widening between the multimode high reflector facet and the partial reflector facet, wherein the ratio of a partial reflector facet width to a high reflector facet width is n:1, where n>1, and wherein the component flared oscillator waveguides of the multiple flared oscillator waveguide are arranged in a row such that portions of the flared current injection regions of adjacently situated component flared oscillator waveguides overlap each other or are in proximity to each other on the order of the wavelength of light emitted by the component flared oscillator waveguides.

Abstract: A high power diode laser module is provided with improved high temperature handling and reliability, the module including a housing made of a thermally conductive material and providing a module interior extending between a plurality of housing surfaces, at least one diode laser disposed in the module interior and situated to emit a laser beam, one or more optical components disposed in the module interior and coupled to the at least one diode laser so as to change one or more characteristics of the laser beam, a waveguide in optical communication with the module interior and situated to receive the laser beam from the one or more optical components, and an optical absorber disposed in the housing and situated to receive stray light which is associated with the laser beam and which is propagating in the module interior so as to absorb the stray light and conduct heat associated with the stray light away from the module interior and into the housing.

Abstract: Apparatus comprise a semiconductor waveguide extending along a longitudinal axis and including a first waveguide section and a second waveguide section, wherein a lateral refractive index difference defining the semiconductor waveguide is larger for the first waveguide section than for the second waveguide section, and an output facet situated on the longitudinal axis of the semiconductor waveguide so as to emit a laser beam propagating in the semiconductor waveguide, wherein the first waveguide section is situated between the second waveguide section and the output facet and wherein the lateral refractive index difference suppresses emission of higher order transverse modes in the laser beam emitted by the output facet.

Abstract: A method of spectrally multiplexing diode pump modules to increase brightness includes generating one or more pump beams from respective diode lasers at a first wavelength in a diode laser package, generating one or more pump beams from respective diode lasers at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength in the diode laser package, wavelength combining at least one of the pump beams at the first wavelength with at least one of the pump beams at the second wavelength to form one or more combined pump beams, and receiving the combined pump beams in a pump fiber coupled to the diode laser package. Laser systems can include multi-wavelength pump modules and a gain fiber having a core actively doped so as to have an absorption spectrum corresponding to the multiple wavelength, the gain fiber situated to receive the pump light and to produce an output beam at an output wavelength.

Abstract: Laser diode drivers include switching power supplies situated proximate one or more laser diode arrays so as to provide laser diode drive currents at frequencies of 200 kHz or more. The switching power supplies are generally buck/boost supplies that can provide well regulated outputs even when regulating remote power received from a power supply via a cables having inductances in the hundreds of nH. Multiple laser diode arrays can be driven with independently selectable powers. A drive current for a particular laser array can be controlled so as to reduce voltage drop at voltage control elements such as FETs, leading to increased efficiency, increased product life and decreased sense element failure.

Abstract: A fiber laser system includes a fiber laser connector having a housing to terminate a fiber that generates a laser beam. A chamber extends internally along a length of the housing. A light trap includes a plurality of threads formed along a wall of the chamber to trap light reflected back to the fiber laser connector in response to an application of the laser beam to a workpiece.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical gain fiber having a core, a cladding surrounding the core, the core and cladding defining an optical gain fiber numerical aperture, and a multimode fiber having a core with a larger radius than a radius of the optical gain fiber core, a cladding surrounding the core, the core and cladding of the multimode fiber defining a multimode fiber stable numerical aperture that is larger than the optical gain fiber numerical aperture, the multimode fiber being optically coupled to the optical gain fiber so as to receive an optical beam propagating in the optical gain fiber and to stably propagate the received optical beam in the multimode fiber core with low optical loss associated with the optical coupling.