Abstract: A water-cooled heat-sink for a diode-laser bar includes a copper-cooling-unit having an integral mount thereon for the diode-laser bar. The copper-cooling-unit is attached to a steel base-unit. The base-unit and the cooling-unit are cooperatively configured such that at least one cooling-channel is formed in the cooling-unit by the attachment of the base-unit to the cooling-unit. The cooling-channel is positioned to cool the mount when cooling-water flows through the cooling-channel.

Abstract: A diode-laser bar is mounted on water-cooled heat-sink between two ceramic sub-mounts for electrically isolating cooling-water in the heat-sink from the diode-laser bar. Mounting between the two ceramic sub-mounts also provides for balancing stresses due to differences in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the sub-mounts and the diode-laser bar. Both sub-mounts are in thermal communication with the heat-sink for providing two-sided cooling of the diode-laser bar.

Abstract: A diode-laser bar stack includes a plurality of diode-laser bars having different temperature dependent peak-emission wavelengths. The stack is arranged such that the bars can be separately powered. This allows one or more of the bars to be “on” while others are “off”. A switching arrangement is described for selectively turning bars on or off, responsive to a signal representative of the temperature of the diode-laser bar stack, for providing a desired total emission spectrum.

Abstract: A diode-laser having an elongated diode-laser emitter is mounted on a relatively massive heat-sink. Two parallel grooves are machined into the heat-sink to leave a relatively narrow elongated ridge of the heat-sink between the grooves. The ridge has a width about equal to or narrower that the width of the emitter. The diode-laser is mounted on the heat-sink such that thermal communication between the emitter and heat-sink is essentially limited to thermal communication with the ridge.

Abstract: A diode-laser bar stack includes a plurality of diode-laser bars having different temperature dependent peak-emission wavelengths. The stack is arranged such that the bars can be separately powered. This allows one or more of the bars to be “on” while others are “off”. A switching arrangement is described for selectively turning bars on or off, responsive to a signal representative of the temperature of the diode-laser bar stack, for providing a desired total emission spectrum.

Abstract: A diode-laser having an elongated diode-laser emitter is mounted on a relatively massive heat-sink. Two parallel grooves are machined into the heat-sink to leave a relatively narrow elongated ridge of the heat-sink between the grooves. The ridge has a width about equal to or narrower that the width of the emitter. The diode-laser is mounted on the heat-sink such that thermal communication between the emitter and heat-sink is essentially limited to thermal communication with the ridge.

Abstract: A diode-laser having an elongated diode-laser emitter is mounted on a relatively massive heat-sink. Two parallel grooves are machined into the heat-sink to leave a relatively narrow elongated ridge of the heat-sink between the grooves. The ridge has a width about equal to or narrower that the width of the emitter. The diode-laser is mounted on the heat-sink such that thermal communication between the emitter and heat-sink is essentially limited to thermal communication with the ridge.

Abstract: It is demonstrated that substantial operating-parameter-dependent temperature-differences can exist between diode-laser bars in pulsed operation of a stack of such bars arranged to provide a two-dimensional array of diode-laser emitters. These differences can produce distortion of the aggregate output spectrum of the stack. By selecting particular nominal emitting wavelengths of the diode-laser bars for specific positions in the stack, the aggregate emission-spectrum can be tailored to a desired shape for one or more sets of operating parameters of the stack.

Abstract: Laser treatment apparatus includes one diode-laser providing infrared radiation for the treatment and another diode-laser for providing visible radiation. A lens launches the infrared and visible radiations from the diode-lasers into the entrance face of the optical fiber for transporting the radiations to a treatment location.

Abstract: It is demonstrated that substantial operating-parameter-dependent temperature-differences can exist between diode-laser bars in pulsed operation of a stack of such bars arranged to provide a two-dimensional array of diode-laser emitters. These differences can produce distortion of the aggregate output spectrum of the stack. By selecting particular nominal emitting wavelengths of the diode-laser bars for specific positions in the stack, the aggregate emission-spectrum can be tailored to a desired shape for one or more sets of operating parameters of the stack.

Abstract: A diode-laser bar package includes two diode-laser bars mounted on a heat sink with slow-axes of the diode-laser bars aligned. Three spaced apart mounting bosses extend from the front of the heat sink. The package includes two cylindrical lens assemblies. Each lens assembly has an elongated cylindrical lens bonded to a rectangular mounting block. The cylindrical lenses are aligned with the diode-laser bars. Lateral faces of the mounting block are epoxy-bonded to lateral faces of the mounting bosses. Bonding is effected by injecting liquid epoxy between the faces to be bonded though holes extending through the mounting blocks from front to the lateral faces of the mounting blocks. The liquid epoxy is then cured to complete the attachment.

Abstract: A directly cooled diode-laser bar package includes a diode-laser bar bonded to a heat-sink. The operating temperature of the diode-laser bar can be selectively varied by varying the thermal impedance of the heat-sink in or near a region of the heat-sink on which the diode-laser bar is bonded. The thermal impedance is selectively varied by varying the insertion depth of screws inserted into corresponding screw holes extending into the heat-sink close to or immediately adjacent the region on which the diode-laser bar is bonded.

Abstract: A directly cooled diode-laser bar package includes a diode-laser bar bonded to a heat-sink. The operating temperature of the diode-laser bar can be selectively varied by varying the thermal impedance of the heat-sink in or near a region of the heat-sink on which the diode-laser bar is bonded. The thermal impedance is selectively varied by varying the insertion depth of screws inserted into corresponding screw holes extending into the heat-sink close to or immediately adjacent the region on which the diode-laser bar is bonded.

Abstract: A diode-laser bar package includes two diode-laser bars mounted on a heat sink with slow-axes of the diode-laser bars aligned. Three spaced apart mounting bosses extend from the front of the heat sink. The package includes two cylindrical lens assemblies. Each lens assembly has an elongated cylindrical lens bonded to a rectangular mounting block. The cylindrical lenses are aligned with the diode-laser bars. Lateral faces of the mounting block are epoxy-bonded to lateral faces of the mounting bosses. Bonding is effected by injecting liquid epoxy between the faces to be bonded though holes extending through the mounting blocks from front to the lateral faces of the mounting blocks. The liquid epoxy is then cured to complete the attachment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a lamina of light. The apparatus includes an optically transparent member having an input configured to receive light and one or more facets formed in the optically transparent member. As light enters and travels through the member, a lamina of light is created by the light reflecting off the facets. In one application, the lamina of light is provided in the free space adjacent a touch screen display. When the lamina is interrupted during a data entry operation to the screen, an optical position detection device is used to determine the data input based on the location of the interrupt in the lamina. In various other embodiments, the position and uniformity of the lamina may be controlled by selecting the angle, depth and tilt of a reflective surface of the facets in the optically transparent member.