Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

LPF Donation via Stripe | LPF Donation - Other Methods

Links below open in new window

ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Combining multiple diode beams

Joined
Apr 6, 2012
Messages
66
Points
0
What techniques are available to combine multiple diodes outputs to increase beam power?

I read that someone had combined 2 diodes but details on how they had done it were sparse.

Would a refracting prism work - pointing the beams in such a way that the prism refracted them to combine on the output face?

Any other techniques?
 





Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
462
Points
18
To combine 2 beams of the same wavelength (color) you need to use a PBS (Polarized Beam Splitter) despite its name, it can also combine two beams, instead of only split one in two.

If you are trying to combine 2 beams of different wavelengths, a dichro or "dichroic mirror" can be used to mix the colors, and combine their total combined output.

Another way to combine two or more lasers of the same wavelength is to "knife edge" them. Essentially, 2 or more lasers are "stacked" by using mirrors. Its hard to explain without using pictures.

Search around about the things I have listed and you should find the answers.
 
Joined
Apr 6, 2012
Messages
66
Points
0
Thanks - yes, I found the PBS for 2 beams but was trying to see if it was possible to combine say 4 by using the same principle - of course the problem would be the polarization control for each of the beams and I envisioned a conical prism with 4 flat sides that could refract the beam - but as nothing seems to be commercially available I'm guessing that my theory is waay off ;)
 




Top