BACKGROUND

Laser light has been used in a number of applications including, without limitation, telecommunications, medicine, research, and industrial applications. The required application may determine the power of the laser light necessary, from low power applications (for example optical metrology) to high power applications (for example industrial cutting and welding applications). High power lasers may be of particular use in automated or robotic cutting stations for repeatable high precision cutting of material such as steel and other metals. Various types of lasers may include, without limitation, gas lasers, chemical lasers, dye lasers, metal-vapor lasers, solid-state lasers, and semiconductor lasers. Of the types of lasers available, semiconductor lasers may have the highest electrical-to-optical efficiency, which may exceed 50%. It may be understood that a high efficiency laser may be preferred for its ability to convert more electrical power to output optical power than lower efficiency lasers. However, the power output of a single semiconductor laser is fairly low compared to other types of lasers.

Therefore, it would be highly desirable to combine the output of multiple semiconductor lasers to produce a high power output laser beam that may take advantage of the efficiency of the electrical-to-optical power conversion of the semiconductor lasers.

SUMMARY

An aspect of a photon source may be composed of a substrate defining a planar surface, an optical shell comprising a hollow frustum, and a plurality of optical sources. The hollow frustum may have an annular base surface having a first outer diameter and a top surface having a second outer diameter, and the annular base surface may be disposed above the planar surface. In some aspects, each optical source may be composed of a mirror disposed on the substrate having a reflecting surface defining a first predetermined angle relative to the planar surface of the substrate, and an optical emitter disposed on the substrate. In some aspects, the reflecting surface may be configured to reflect a collimated optical beam incident on the reflecting surface away from the planar surface of the substrate at a second predetermined angle relative to the planar surface of the substrate. In some aspects, the optical emitter may be optically aligned with the mirror along an optical axis and configured to emit the collimated optical beam along the optical axis. In some aspects, the mirror may be configured to reflect the collimated optical beam onto the annular base surface of the optical shell. In some aspects, a plurality of mirrors may be collectively composed of each mirror of the plurality of optical sources, and the plurality of mirrors may be arranged in a first ring-like configuration defining a first diameter. In some aspects, the annular base surface of the optical shell may be disposed above the first ring-like configuration of the plurality of mirrors. In some aspects, a plurality of optical emitters may be collectively composed of each optical emitter of the plurality of optical sources, and the plurality of optical emitters may be arranged in a second ring-like configuration defining a second diameter. In some aspects, the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter and the second ring-like configuration is concentric with the first ring-like configuration.

An aspect of a photon source may be composed of a substrate defining a planar surface, a focus lens disposed above the planar surface, the focus lens defining an acceptance angle, an optical shell comprising a hollow frustum, and a plurality of optical sources. In some aspects, the hollow frustum may have an annular base surface with a first outer diameter and a top surface having a second outer diameter, and the annular base surface may be disposed above the focus lens. In one aspect, each optical source may be composed of a mirror disposed on the substrate having a reflecting surface defining a first predetermined angle relative to the planar surface of the substrate, and an optical emitter disposed on the substrate, in which the optical emitter may be optically aligned with the mirror along an optical axis and configured to emit a collimated optical beam along the optical axis. In one aspect, the reflecting surface may be configured to reflect the collimated optical beam incident on the reflecting surface away from the planar surface of the substrate at a second predetermined angle relative to the planar surface of the substrate. In one aspect, the mirror may be configured to reflect the collimated optical beam within the acceptance angle of the focus lens. In one aspect, the focus lens may be configured to direct an optical output of the lens onto the annular base surface of the optical shell. In one aspect, a plurality of mirrors may collectively be composed of each mirror of the plurality of optical sources, and the plurality of mirrors may arranged in a first ring-like configuration defining a first diameter. In one aspect, the focus lens may be disposed above the first ring-like configuration of the plurality of mirrors. In one aspect, a plurality of optical emitters may be collectively composed of each optical emitter of the plurality of optical sources, and the plurality of optical emitters may be arranged in a second ring-like configuration defining a second diameter. In one aspect, the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter and the second ring-like configuration is concentric with the first ring-like configuration.

