Abstract: Apparatus include a first laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet along an optical axis, the beam as emitted having perpendicular fast and slow axes perpendicular to the optical axis, a first fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the first laser diode, a second laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet of the second laser diode along an optical axis parallel to the optical axis of the first laser diode and with a slow axis in a common plane with the slow axis of the first laser diode, and a second fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet of the second laser diode and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the second laser diode.

Abstract: In an example, an apparatus to tandem pump a fiber laser or fiber amplifier may include a combiner; a power amplifier or a power oscillator, or a combination thereof, coupled to an output of the combiner; a seed laser to output light to the power amplifier or the power oscillator, or the combination thereof, via the combiner; and a tandem pump to generate light of a pump source signal, wherein the light of the pump source signal is output to the combiner to cladding pump the power amplifier or the power oscillator, or the combination thereof. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

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 number of beams that can be coupled into an optical fiber can be increased using emitted beams having greater divergence, thus providing increased beam power. Alternatively, with a fixed number of emitters, total optical power can be maintained with fewer beams in an output beam with a smaller numerical aperture.

Abstract: A laser diode, comprising a transverse waveguide that is orthogonal to the lateral waveguide comprising an active layer between an n-type waveguide layer and a p-type waveguide layer, wherein the transverse waveguide is bounded by an n-type cladding layer on an n-side and p-type cladding layer on a p-side and a lateral waveguide bounded in a longitudinal direction at a first end by a high reflector (HR) coated facet and at a second end by a partial reflector (PR) coated facet, the lateral waveguide further comprising a buried higher order mode suppression layer (HOMSL) disposed beneath the p-cladding within the lateral waveguide or on one or both sides of the lateral waveguide or a combination thereof, wherein the HOMSL extends in a longitudinal direction from the HR facet a length less than the distance between the HR facet and the PR facet.

Abstract: An apparatus for scattering light may include: an optical fiber having a first length; and a sleeve, having a second length shorter than the first length, around the optical fiber. The optical fiber may include: a core; and cladding around the core. The sleeve may include fiber-optic material. The fiber-optic material may be substantially polymer-free. An outer surface of the sleeve may be roughened to scatter the light out of the sleeve through the roughened surface. A method of forming an apparatus for scattering light may include: providing a sleeve having a first length, the sleeve having inner and outer surfaces; providing an optical fiber having a second length longer than the first length; passing the sleeve around the optical fiber or threading the optical fiber through the sleeve; and roughening at least a portion of the outer surface of the sleeve.

Abstract: Laser diode submounts include a SiC substrate on which a thick conductive layer is supplied to use in mounting a laser diode. The thick conductive layer is typically gold or copper, and can be electrically coupled to a base laser that is used to define laser diode couplings.

Abstract: Apparatus include a first laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet along an optical axis, the beam as emitted having perpendicular fast and slow axes perpendicular to the optical axis, a first fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the first laser diode, a second laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet of the second laser diode along an optical axis parallel to the optical axis of the first laser diode and with a slow axis in a common plane with the slow axis of the first laser diode, and a second fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet of the second laser diode and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the second laser diode.

Abstract: A laser diode vertical epitaxial structure, comprising a transverse waveguide comprising an active layer between an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer wherein the transverse waveguide is bounded by a lower index n-cladding layer on an n-side of the transverse waveguide and a lower index p-cladding layer on a p-side of the transverse waveguide, a lateral waveguide that is orthogonal to the transverse waveguide, wherein the lateral waveguide is bounded in a longitudinal direction at a first end by a facet coated with a high reflector (HR) coating and at a second end by a facet coated with a partial reflector (PR) coating and a higher order mode suppression layer (HOMSL) disposed adjacent to at least one lateral side of the lateral waveguide and that extends in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: Apparatus include a conductive block including a base surface and a plurality of parallel stepped surfaces opposite the base surface and defining respective mounting surfaces situated to receive respective laser diodes having respective thermal paths defining a common thermal path distance from the mounting surfaces to the base surface, and a two-phase cooling unit including a coupling surface attached to the base surface of the conductive block and wherein the two-phase cooling unit is situated to conduct heat generated through the emission of laser beams from the laser diodes along the thermal paths.

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: Laser diodes are configured to suppress lasing of a first and higher order modes along a fast axis of an optical beam emitted by the laser diode. An optical cavity is defined by a p-side of the laser diode, an n-side of the laser diode, and an active region located between the p- and n-sides. The n-side has an n-waveguide layer forming at least a portion of a waveguide having a quantum well offset towards the p-side. According to some embodiments, double cladding layers out-couple higher order modes. According to other embodiments, double waveguides (e.g., symmetric and asymmetric) reduce gain applied to higher order modes.

Abstract: Laser diodes formed on a common substrate with layers of suitable thickness and refractive indices produce output beams that are coherently coupled. A phase mask can be situated to produce phase differences in one or more of the output beams to produce a common wavefront phase. The phase-corrected beams propagate with reduced angular divergence than conventional lasers that are not coherently coupled, and the coherently coupled laser diodes can provide higher beam brightness, enhanced beam parameter product, and superior power coupled into doped fibers in fiber lasers.

Abstract: Large mode area optical fibers include cores that are selected to be smaller than a core size associated with a minimum mode field diameter of a lowest order mode. Cross-sectional shape of such cores can be circular or annular, and a plurality of such cores can be used. Gain regions can be provided in cores or claddings, and selected to produce a selected state of polarization.

Abstract: An optical fiber combiner comprising a coupling device having an input surface area, and you Ain, and an output surface area, Aout, wherein the input surface area Ain is greater than the output surface area Aout, and a plurality of optical fibers each having an input surface and an output surface, wherein the output surfaces of the plurality of optical fibers are coupled to the coupling device, wherein the coupling device combines optical power emitted by the plurality of optical fibers.

Abstract: Apparatus include a first laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet along an optical axis, the beam as emitted having perpendicular fast and slow axes perpendicular to the optical axis, a first fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the first laser diode, a second laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet of the second laser diode along an optical axis parallel to the optical axis of the first laser diode and with a slow axis in a common plane with the slow axis of the first laser diode, and a second fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet of the second laser diode and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the second laser diode.

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: 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: 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.