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Source: Ferdinand-Braun-Institut
Understanding High-Power Laser Sources and Beam Combining
High-power laser sources with high beam quality are crucial for various applications, but they come with limitations. One solution to overcome these limitations is beam combining, which involves combining the outputs of multiple laser sources to obtain a single high-power beam with preserved beam quality.
Beam Combining Techniques
There are two main categories of beam combining techniques: coherent and spectral. Coherent beam combining requires mutual temporal coherence of the combined beams, while spectral beam combining does not. Spectral beam combining simplifies achieving stable operation at high power levels and does not require single-frequency operation, making it easier to reach high power levels.
Coherent vs. Spectral Beam Combining
Coherent beam combining techniques favor single-frequency operation but may face challenges with nonlinear effects. Spectral beam combining generates output beams with multiple spectral components, reducing spectral brightness but offering advantages in combining beams without significant beam quality loss and graceful degradation in case of emitter failure.
Applications of Beam-Combined Laser Systems
Beam-combined laser systems are expected to reach output power levels of tens to hundreds of kilowatts, with applications in military defense, free-space optical communications, and laser-based manufacturing.
Future Prospects
Methods of spectral beam combining are likely to see wider applications due to their advantages, although coherent methods will still be necessary in certain scenarios.
Overall, beam combining technology holds great potential for advancing high-power laser sources and enabling a range of practical applications in various industries.
Source: Ferdinand-Braun-Institut
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