Abstract: An original laser-radiation beam having a symmetrical M2 but poor beam quality is sliced in one transverse axis, by a fanned-out stack of parallel transparent plates, into a plurality of beam slices. The beam-slices are also spread by the stack of plates in another transverse axis perpendicular to the first axis. A fanned-out stack of glass blocks aligns the spread beam-slices in the first axis to form what is effectively a single beam having an asymmetric M2, with beam quality improved in one axis and degraded in the other compared with the original beam. The effective single beam is projected into a line of radiation by a cylindrical lens, or by a homogenizing projector including spaced apart cylindrical lens arrays followed by a spherical condenser lens.

Abstract: A projection video display includes a light source including an OPS-laser delivering laser radiation in multiple transverse modes (a multiple-transverse-mode OPS-laser). The display includes a spatial light modulator for spatially modulating the radiation from the multiple-transverse-mode OPS-laser in accordance with a portion of an image to be displayed. Projection optics project the spatially modulated light on a screen on which the image is to be displayed. In one example the OPS-laser is a diode-laser array pumped OPS-laser and is one of three lasers, one delivering red light, one delivering blue light, and the other delivering green light. The lasers are time modulated such that the spatial light modulator receives light from each of the lasers separately. The OPS laser is directly time modulated by periodically turning the diode-laser array on and off.

Abstract: An original laser-radiation beam having a symmetrical M2 but poor beam quality is sliced in one transverse axis, by a fanned-out stack of parallel transparent plates, into a plurality of beam slices. The beam-slices are also spread by the stack of plates in another transverse axis perpendicular to the first axis. A fanned-out stack of glass blocks aligns the spread beam-slices in the first axis to form what is effectively a single beam having an asymmetric M2, with beam quality improved in one axis and degraded in the other compared with the original beam. The effective single beam is projected into a line of radiation by a cylindrical lens, or by a homogenizing projector including spaced apart cylindrical lens arrays followed by a spherical condenser lens.

Abstract: A gain-module for a laser resonator has an elongated gain-element located in an diffusely reflective cylindrical enclosure having an elongated entrance slit for admitting pump radiation. Pump radiation is supplied by two diode-laser arrays assemblies each including a fast-axis collimating lens. Propagation axes of the diode-laser array assemblies are at an angle to each other. The propagation axes extend through the entrance slit into the enclosure without being intercepted by the gain-element and with the gain-element being located between the propagation-axes.

Abstract: A projection video display includes a light source including an OPS-laser delivering laser radiation in multiple transverse modes (a multiple-transverse-mode OPS-laser). The display includes a spatial light modulator for spatially modulating the radiation from the multiple-transverse-mode OPS-laser in accordance with a portion of an image to be displayed. Projection optics project the spatially modulated light on a screen on which the image is to be displayed. In one example the OPS-laser is a diode-laser array pumped OPS-laser and is one of three lasers, one delivering red light, one delivering blue light, and the other delivering green light. The lasers are time modulated such that the spatial light modulator receives light from each of the lasers separately. The OPS laser is directly time modulated by periodically turning the diode-laser array on and off.

Abstract: A projection video display includes a light source including an OPS-laser delivering laser radiation in multiple transverse modes (a multiple-transverse-mode OPS-laser). The display includes a spatial light modulator for spatially modulating the radiation from the multiple-transverse-mode OPS-laser in accordance with a portion of an image to be displayed. Projection optics project the spatially modulated light on a screen on which the image is to be displayed. In one example the OPS-laser is a diode-laser array pumped OPS-laser and is one of three lasers, one delivering red light, one delivering blue light, and the other delivering green light. The lasers are time modulated such that the spatial light modulator receives light from each of the lasers separately. The OPS laser is directly time modulated by periodically turning the diode-laser array on and off.

Abstract: A projection video display includes at least one laser for delivering a light beam. The display includes a beam homogenizer and a condenser lens. A scanning arrangement is provided for scanning the light in beam in a particular pattern over the condenser lens in a manner that effectively increases the beam divergence. The scanned beam is homogenized by a beam homogenizer and a spatial light modulator is arranged to receive the homogenized scanned light beam and spatially modulate the beam in accordance with a component of an image to be displayed. Projection optics are projecting the homogenized scanned light beam onto a screen. The scanning provides that the homogenized scanned light beam at the screen has a coherence radius less than the original coherence radius of the beam. The reduced coherence radius contributes to minimizing speckle contrast in the image displayed on the screen.

Abstract: An optically-pumped semiconductor (OPS) laser includes a multilayer structure including a mirror-structure surmounted by a multilayer semiconductor gain-structure. A membrane mirror is spaced apart from the mirror structure to form a laser resonator between the mirror structure and the membrane mirror, with the gain-structure included in the laser resonant cavity. Pump light is transmitted through the membrane mirror into the gain structure. The membrane mirror includes a grating having parameters selected such that the membrane mirror has different reflectivities at the wavelength of the laser in two orthogonally-oriented planes of polarization. The membrane mirror is axially movable along the resonator axis for varying the resonator length to select the wavelength of the single lasing mode.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting a laser-pulse from a pulsed-laser to a receiver includes a pulse-expander, an optical-fiber, and a pulse-compressor. The pulse-expander is arranged to receive and temporally-expand the laser-pulse from the pulsed laser. The optical-fiber at its proximal end to receive the laser-pulse from the pulse-expander and transport the laser-pulse to the pulse-compressor. The pulse-compressor is arranged to receive the laser-pulse from the optical-fiber, temporally-compress the laser-pulse, and deliver the laser-pulse to the receiver. The pulse-compressor includes a block of optically-dispersive material, the temporal-compression being effected by an optical arrangement that causes the laser-pulse to follow a zigzag path through the block of optically-dispersive material. The pulse-expander may be arranged to provide variable third-order dispersion of a laser-pulse being expanded. The pulse compressor may be included in a handpiece attached to the distal end of the optical-fiber.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for minimizing the depolarization of a laser beam due to thermally induced birefringence in a rod-shaped gain medium over a wide range of excitation levels. After passing through the gain medium, the polarization of the beam is rotated by ninety degrees and either redirected back into the same gain medium or a substantially identical gain medium. By this arrangement, the portion of the beam that was radially polarized during the first pass is tangentially polarized during the second pass so that the original polarization is restored. In order to maximize the compensation, a relay image system is used to generate an image of the beam in the gain medium as it existed during the first pass and project that image into the gain medium during the second pass. The magnification of the relayed image is substantially one to one with respect to the actual image.