Open AccessCorrection of beam errors in high power laser diode bars and stacks
Author(s) -
J. F. Monjardin,
K. Nowak,
H. J. Baker,
D. R. Hall
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.14.008178
Subject(s) - optics , collimator , laser beam quality , beam (structure) , laser , polishing , beam parameter product , collimated light , beam expander , stack (abstract data type) , bar (unit) , materials science , diode , m squared , laser diode , laser beams , physics , optoelectronics , computer science , meteorology , composite material , programming language
The beam errors of an 11 bar laser diode stack fitted with fast-axis collimator lenses have been corrected by a single refractive plate, produced by laser cutting and polishing. The so-called smile effect is virtually eliminated and collimator aberration greatly reduced, improving the fast-axis beam quality of each bar by a factor of up to 5. The single corrector plate for the whole stack ensures that the radiation from all the laser emitters is parallel to a common axis. Beam-pointing errors of the bars have been reduced to below 0.7 mrad.