Miniaturizing a coherent beam combining system into a compact laser diode module

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Technology
• Semiconductor Lasers

Background:

• Coherent beam combination is crucial for high-power laser systems.
• Miniaturization of laser modules presents significant engineering challenges.
• Previous compact devices lacked efficient beam combination capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact laser module capable of coherent beam combination.
• To achieve high output power and efficiency in a miniaturized laser system.
• To automate the phase stabilization process for reliable operation.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing two tapered amplifiers seeded by a distributed Bragg reflector ridge waveguide laser diode at 761 nm.
• Implementing a single longitudinal mode operation.
• Employing automated phase control via current modulation and a reverse hill-climbing algorithm with an ATmega328P microcontroller.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a compact laser module (76×43×15 mm³) for coherent beam combination.
• Achieved up to 5W continuous wave output power.
• Reached a beam combination efficiency of 85%.

Conclusions:

• The developed laser module represents a novel, compact solution for coherent beam combination.
• The automated phase stabilization system ensures stable and efficient operation.
• This technology has potential applications in various fields requiring high-power, compact laser sources.