Claims
- 1. A pump source for optically pumping an optical fiber laser, said pump source comprising:
- a generally planar structural framework;
- at least one laser diode array having aligned light emitting facets and fixedly mounted to said structural framework along one end thereof so that said emitting facets can emit radiation toward the opposite end thereof;
- an elongated cylindrical microlens for receiving radiation from said laser diode array and directing it along a predetermined path of travel;
- a first position control mechanism for aligning said elongated cylindrical microlens with said laser diode array to optimize the throughput of radiation therethrough, said position control mechanism comprising:
- a pair of independently adjustable mechanical structures spaced apart from one another on said structural framework and adapted to support said elongated cylindrical microlens, each of said pair of independently adjustable mechanical structures having portions movable relative to said structural framework so that, in combination, they may be used for controlling both the linear position and angular relationship of said microlens in a first plane parallel to that of said structural framework, each of said independently adjustable mechanical structures comprising:
- (A) at least two members of different stiffness including said movable portions and connected so that said movable portions of said members can be moved in a first direction with respect to one another while other portions cannot, said other unmovable portions of said members being fixedly mounted to said structural framework such that said movable portions of said members can be independently positioned relative thereto; and
- (B) means for adjusting the spacing between said movable porticons of said members to provide for their controlled movement with respect to said structural framework, said movable portions of said members moving in said one direction at different rates with respect to said structural framework in accordance with their stiffnesses and the spacing imposed between them with the stiffer of said two members moving the least for a given spacing, said adjusting means including a coarse adjustment and a fine adjustment to provide for vernier positioning of said movable portions of said members with respect to said structural framework with the finest position control being of the movable portion of the stiffer of said members.
- 2. The pump source of claim 1 wherein each of said independently adjustable mechanical structures further include means for mounting thereto at least one other similarly configured independently adjustable mechanical structure to control the position and angular orientation of said microlens with respect to said laser diode array in a plane orthogonal to the planar orientation of said structural framework.
- 3. The pump source of claim 2 further including a array of aligned fibers for receiving radiation from said microlens and a second position control mechanism, identical to said first position control mechanism, but adapted to support said array of fibers with their receiving ends generally facing said microlens, for controlling the position and angular orientation of said array of fibers with respect to said microlens in a plane parallel to that of said structural framework.
- 4. The pump source of claim 3 wherein each of said independently adjustable mechanical structures of said second positioning mechanism further include means for mounting thereto at least one other similarly configured independently adjustable mechanical structure to control the position and angular orientation of said array of fibers with respect to said microlens in a plane orthogonal to the planar orientation of said structural framework.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/037,273, filed Mar. 26, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,546.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Kinematics of Machines, Rolland T. Hinkle, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Jan. 1962, pp. 247-248. |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
37273 |
Mar 1993 |
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