Amplified laser light with multiple optical amplifiers

Abstract

A seed laser is configured to emit seed laser light. A plurality of optical amplifiers is configured to generate amplified laser light by amplifying the seed laser light. Each of the optical amplifiers is configured to separately direct its respective amplified laser light to a medium without being optically combined within the laser assembly with any of the other amplified laser light emitted by other optical amplifiers in the plurality of optical amplifiers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laser assembly comprising:
 a seed laser configured to emit seed laser light; and   a plurality of optical amplifiers configured to generate amplified laser light by amplifying the seed laser light, each of the optical amplifiers configured to separately direct its respective amplified laser light to a medium without being optically combined within the laser assembly with any of the other amplified laser light emitted by other optical amplifiers in the plurality of optical amplifiers.   
     
     
         2 . The laser assembly of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a reference optical amplifier configured to generate reference light by amplifying the seed laser light, wherein plurality of optical amplifiers provide a first beam quality factor, and wherein the reference optical amplifer provides a second beam quality factor that is different from the first beam quality factor. 
 
     
     
         3 . The laser assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first beam quality factor is larger than the second beam quality factor. 
     
     
         4 . The laser assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the amplified laser light from each optical amplifier have intensities that are approximately equal. 
     
     
         5 . The laser assembly of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an optical distribution assembly configured to distribute the seed laser light to inputs of the optical amplifiers. 
 
     
     
         6 . The laser assembly of  claim 5  wherein the optical distribution assembly includes:
 a focusing optical element to focus the seed laser light to the inputs of the optical amplifiers; and 
 an actuator configured to move the focusing optical element along a translation axis to selectively focus and defocus the seed laser light to the inputs of the optical amplifiers. 
 
     
     
         7 . The laser assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the seed laser light is seed near-infrared laser light, and wherein the amplified laser light is amplified near-infrared laser light. 
     
     
         8 . The laser assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical amplifiers are arranged as a two-dimensional array of stacked chips, wherein each of the stacked chips includes a one-dimensional array of the optical amplifiers. 
     
     
         9 . The laser assembly of  claim 1 , wherein electrical drive currents that drive the plurality of optical amplifiers are synced. 
     
     
         10 . The laser assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the seed laser is one of a fiber laser or a seed laser. 
     
     
         11 . The laser assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each optical amplifier in the plurality of optical amplifiers includes a frequency converter that down-coverts a first wavelength of the seed laser light to a second wavelength of the amplified laser light. 
     
     
         12 . A laser device comprising:
 a seed laser configured to emit seed laser light; and   a plurality of optical amplifiers configured to generate amplified laser light by amplifying the seed laser light, each of the optical amplifiers configured to direct its respective amplified laser light to a common target, wherein the optical amplifiers in the plurality of optical amplifiers provide a beam quality factor of the amplified laser light that is greater than 1,000.   
     
     
         13 . The laser device of  claim 12  further comprising:
 a reference optical amplifier configured to generate reference light by amplifying the seed laser light, wherein the reference optical amplifer provides a beam quality factor close to one. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 emitting seed laser light with a seed laser; and   generating amplified laser light with a plurality of optical amplifiers, each of the optical amplifiers configured to separately direct its respective amplified laser light to a medium without being optically combined with any of the other amplified laser light emitted by other optical amplifiers in the plurality of optical amplifiers.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 generating reference light by amplifying the seed laser light with a reference optical amplifier, wherein the plurality of optical amplifiers provide a first beam quality factor that is larger than a second beam quality factor of the reference light. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the amplified laser light from each optical amplifier have intensities that are approximately equal. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 driving an actuator to move a focusing optical element along a translation axis to selectively focus and defocus the seed laser light to inputs of the optical amplifiers. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of optical amplifiers are arranged as a two-dimensional array of stacked chips, wherein each of the stacked chips includes a one-dimensional array of the optical amplifiers. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein electrical drive currents that drive the plurality of optical amplifiers are synced. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the seed laser is one of a fiber laser or a seed laser.