Selective Repositioning and Rotation Wavelength Beam Combining System and Method

Abstract

A system and method for reconfiguring a plurality of electromagnetic beams to take advantage of various wavelength beam combining techniques. The reconfiguring of beams includes individual rotation and selective repositioning of one or more beams with respect to beam's original input position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wavelength beam combiner comprising:
 an optical rotator configured to selectively rotate beams emitted by a plurality of beam emitters;   a collecting optic configured to receive and deliver the selectively rotated beams onto a dispersive element, wherein the dispersive element transmits the selectively rotated beams as a combined beam profile; and   a partially-reflecting output coupler arranged to receive the combined beams from the dispersive element, to reflect a portion of the combined beams toward the dispersive element, and to transmit the combined beams as a multi-wavelength beam comprising optical radiation having a plurality of wavelengths.   
     
     
         2 . The wavelength beam combiner of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the beam emitters have a fixed-position relationship. 
     
     
         3 . The wavelength beam combiner of  claim 1 , wherein the beam emitters include a first reflective surface and an optical gain medium. 
     
     
         4 . The wavelength beam combiner of  claim 1 , further including a collimation optic configured to receive beams from the beam emitters and collimate one or more beams along a dimension of the beam. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-wavelength beam combiner of  claim 1 , wherein the diode elements include a first reflective surface and an optical gain medium. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-wavelength beam combiner of  claim 1 , wherein the partially-reflective output coupler has a curved surface. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-wavelength beam combiner of  claim 1 , wherein the emitted beams have an asymmetrical profile. 
     
     
         8 . A wavelength beam combiner comprising:
 a spatial repositioning element configured to spatially-reposition beams emitted by a plurality of beam emitters;   a collecting optic arranged to receive the spatially-repositioned beams and deliver the beams onto a dispersive element, wherein the dispersive element transmits the spatially-repositioned beams as a combined beam profile; and   a partially-reflecting output coupler configured to reflect a portion of the combined beams back into each of the beam emitters.   
     
     
         9 . The wavelength beam combiner of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of beam emitters produces a two-dimensional profile and the spatial-repositioning element reduces the number of beams along a first dimension of the profile while increasing the number of beams across a second dimension of the profile. 
     
     
         10 . The wavelength beam combiner of  claim 8 , wherein at least two of the beam emitters have a fixed-position relationship. 
     
     
         11 . The wavelength beam combiner of  claim 8 , further including an optical rotator configured to selectively rotate beams prior to being received by the collecting optic. 
     
     
         12 . A wavelength beam combining method including:
 selectively rotating electromagnetic beams emitted by a plurality of beam emitters;   directing the selectively rotated beams onto a dispersive element;   transmitting a combined beam profile from the dispersive element;   redirecting a portion of the combined beams back into the beam emitters; and   transmitting the combined beams as a multi-wavelength beam comprising optical radiation having a plurality of wavelengths.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further including:
 individually collimating the emitted beams along a dimension prior to selectively rotating the beams.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least two of the beam emitters have a fixed-position relationship. 
     
     
         15 . A method for wavelength beam combining including:
 selectively-repositioning electromagnetic beams emitted by a plurality of beam emitters;   directing the selectively-repositioned beams onto a dispersive element; and   dispersing the selectively-repositioned beams as a combined beam profile; and   redirecting a portion of the dispersed beams back into the beam emitters.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of beam emitters produces a two-dimensional profile and the selectively-repositioning step reduces the number of emitted beams along a first dimension while increasing the number of emitted beams across a second dimension. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein an array of periscopes is used in the selectively-repositioning step. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further including the step of selectively rotating the electromagnetic beams emitted by a plurality of beam emitters after the selectively-repositioning step.