Semiconductor laser device having changeable wavelength, polarization mode, and beam shape image

Claim 3

The device for selecting laser characteristics of wavelength, beam spot character size and shape, and polarization mode, as described in claim 1, wherein said means for selecting one from a group of semiconductor lasers, means for selecting one from a group of prismatic beam shapers and means for selecting one from a group of objective optics, are tubular modular units held together in coaxial alignment by retaining means having coaxial alignment adjustment means.

Claim 4

The device for selecting laser characteristics of wavelength, beam spot character size and shape, and polarization mode, as described in claim 1, wherein said means for selecting one from a group of semiconductor lasers, means for selecting one from a group of prismatic beam shapers, and means for selecting one from a group of objective optics, are modular block housing units held together in coaxial alignment by retaining means having axial alignment adjustment means.

Claim 5

A device for selecting laser characteristics of wavelength, beam spot character size and shape, and polarization mode, as described in claim 1, wherein said means for selecting one from a group of objective optics, is a focusing lens projecting a small, diffraction limited spot wherein the limiting aperture is a shaped character, imparting a symbol to the beam.

Claim 6

A device for selecting laser characteristics of wavelength, beam spot character size and shape, and polarization mode, as described in claim 1, wherein said means for selecting one from a group of objective optics, is a telecentric expander to reduce a beam divergence enabling a beam to be projected over a long distance for ranging and identification of articles.

Claim 7

A device for selecting laser characteristics of wavelength, beam spot character size and shape, and polarization mode, as described in claim 1, further comprising a wavelength and power controller consisting of: thermoelectric cooler means in thermal contact with said semiconductor laser; and heat sink means in thermal contact with said thermoelectric cooler, dissipating excess heat to ambient; whereby the semiconductor laser wavelength is held to specifications.

Claim 8

A device for selecting laser characteristics of wavelength, beam spot character size and shape, and polarization mode, as described in claim 1, further comprising a diode laser driver consisting of a power supply providing DC power to said semiconductor diode, said power supply being regulated to provide constant power to said semiconductor diode.

Claim 9

A device for selecting laser characteristics of wavelength, beam spot character size and shape, and polarization mode, as described in claim 1, further comprising a diode laser wavelength controller comprising: thermoelectric cooler means, in thermal contact with said semiconductor laser; a power supply providing power to said semiconductor diode, said power supply having regulator means to provide constant current to said thermoelectric cooler means; and discriminator means adapted to detect a change in wavelength, connected to said regulator means, regulating power output of said power supply to maintain constant wavelength, whereby a variation in wavelength is detected by said discriminator means which regulates power to the semiconductor laser in a direction for correcting the wavelength.

Claim 10

A laser device having a plurality of selectable modes of operation, which comprises: semiconductor means for emitting a beam of laser electromagnetic radiation between 400 and 1600 nanometers wavelength, said beam substantially elliptical in cross section having an elongated dimension; a collimation lens in the beam of said semiconductor, collimating the beam thereof, producing a collimated beam of elliptic cross section; a cylinder lens receiving the collimated beam from said collimation lens, correcting astigmatism of the beam; a beam shaper spot size reducer of the TE polarized beam, consisting of: a first prism having a right angular surface receiving the collimated elliptic cross section beam from said cylinder lens, and a hypotenuse surface oriented along the elongated dimension of said semiconductor means and refracting the beam having a collimated elliptic cross section from said cylinder lens, producing a circular beam output of reduced spot size; and a layered reflectance coating on the hypotenuse of the prism receiving the electromagnetic radiation TE and TM modes passing both modes and preventing reflection of the TE and TM modes at large incidence angles; a second prism receiving the less elliptic refracted beam having a collimated, less elliptic cross section from said first prism, on a right angular facet and a hypotenuse surface refracting the beam and redirecting the circular beam output from said first prism; and a layered reflectance coating on the hypotenuse of the prism receiving the electromagnetic radiation TE and TM modes, passing both modes and preventing reflection of TE and TM modes at the large incidence angle; whereby radiation from the diode laser means is collimated and corrected for astigmatism, by the collimating and cylinder lenses, and the beam shaped, spot size reduced and redirected by the beam shaping and demagnifying prisms to obtain a circular output beam of one millimeter diameter with minimal radiated power loss.

Claim 11

A laser device having a plurality of selectable modes of operation, which comprises: semiconductor means for emitting a beam of laser electromagnetic radiation between 400 and 1600 nanometers wavelength, said beam substantially elliptical in cross section having an elongated dimension; a collimation lens in the beam of said semiconductor, collimating the beam thereof, producing a collimated beam of elliptic cross section; a cylinder lens receiving the collimated beam from said collimation lens, correcting astigmatism of the beam; a beam shaper spot size reducer of the TE polarized beam, consisting of: a first prism having a right angular surface receiving the collimated elliptic cross section beam from said cylinder lens, and a hypotenuse surface oriented along the elongated dimension of said semiconductor means and refracting the beam having a collimated elliptic cross section from said cylinder lens, producing a circular beam output of reduced spot size; and a layered reflectance coating on the hypotenuse of the prism receiving the electromagnetic radiation TE and TM modes passing both modes and preventing reflection of the TE and TM modes at large incidence angles; a second prism receiving the less elliptic refracted beam having a collimated, less elliptic cross section from said first prism, on a right angular facet and a hypotenuse surface refracting the beam and redirecting the circular beam output from said first prism; and a layered reflectance coating on the hypotenuse of the prism receiving the electromagnetic radiation TE and TM modes, passing both modes and preventing reflection of TE and TM modes at the large incidence angle; whereby radiation from the diode laser means is collimated and corrected for astigmatism, by the collimating and cylinder lenses, and the beam shaped, spot size reduced and redirected by the beam shaping and demagnifying prisms to obtain a circular output beam of one millimeter diameter with minimal radiated power loss.

Claim 12

A laser device having a plurality of selectable modes of operation as described in claim 9 wherein said beam shaper is a spot size expander, which comprises: a first prism having a hypotenuse surface receiving the collimated elliptic cross section beam from said cylinder lens, and a right angular surface oriented along the elongated dimension of said semiconductor means and refracting the beam having a collimated elliptic cross section from said cylinder lens, producing a circular beam output of enlarged spot size; and a layered reflectance coating on the hypotenuse of the prism receiving the electromagnetic radiation TE and TM modes passing both modes and preventing reflection of the TE and TM modes at a large incidence angle; a second prism receiving the less elliptic refracted beam having a collimated less elliptic cross section from said first prism, on a hypotenuse surface and a right angular surface refracting the beam and redirecting the circular beam output from said first prism; and a layered reflectance coating on the hypotenuse of the prism receiving the electromagnetic radiation TE and TM modes, passing both modes and preventing reflection of both modes at the large incidence angle.

Claim 13

A laser device having a plurality of selectable modes of operation as described in claim 9 wherein said semiconductor means for emitting a beam of laser electromagnetic radiation substantially elliptical in cross section, having a polarization direction along the junction; and a major axis perpendicular to the junction and said beam shaper is an expander, expanding the minor axis, producing a large circle having polarization along the minor axis of the ellipse.

Claim 14

A laser device having a plurality of selectable modes of operation as described in claim 9 wherein said semiconductor means for emitting a beam of laser electromagnetic radiation substantially elliptical in cross section having an elongated dimension along the minor axis of the junction and said beam shaper is a reducer, for shrinking the major axis of the ellipse, producing a small circle having polarization along the minor axis of the ellipse.

Claim 15

A laser device having a plurality of selectable modes of operation, as described in claim 9 wherein said semiconductor means for emitting a beam of laser electromagnetic radiation substantially elliptical in cross section having an elongated dimension along the major axis of the junction and said beam shaper is an expander, expanding the major axis of the ellipse, producing a large line having polarization along the minor axis of the ellipse.

Claim 16

A laser device having a plurality of selectable modes of operation, as described in claim 9 wherein said semiconductor means for emitting a beam of laser electromagnetic radiation substantially elliptical in cross-section having an elongated dimension along the minor axis of the junction and said beam shaper is a reducer, producing a small thin line having polarization along the major axis.

Claim 17

A laser device having a plurality of selectable modes of operation, as described in claims, 11, 12, 13, and 14 wherein said semiconductor means for emitting a beam of laser electromagnetic radiation is a multiquantum well visible laser having a direction of polarization along the major axis of the beam, operating at wavelengths simulating a Helium Neon laser.