JP3071360B2 - Optical path converter used for linear array laser diode, laser device using the same, and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical path converter used for a linear array laser diode, and a laser device using the optical path converter. The present invention further relates to a semiconductor laser concentrator for condensing a semiconductor laser beam into a minute spot, and a semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device for optically exciting a solid-state laser element with the semiconductor laser beam.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art YAG (yetrium aluminum nitride) has been used as a laser used for laser processing and medical purposes. However, the YAG laser which is a solid-state laser has low conversion efficiency from electricity to light. This is because conventional YAG lasers have low luminous efficiency of Xe lamps and flash lamps used for pumping solid-state lasers and have a wide spectral band of light emission, so only a small part of the luminous energy is used for pumping solid-state lasers. It depends. This usually requires large equipment and cooling water.

On the other hand, a semiconductor laser (LD) has a high conversion efficiency and is compact, and does not require a large-scale cooling device. Recently, the cost of high power semiconductor lasers has begun to drop significantly. It is preferable to use such a semiconductor laser also in the field of laser processing. However, semiconductor lasers generally have poor beam quality, and there is a limit to increasing the output of single-stripe semiconductor lasers.
It is difficult to use it as it is for laser processing.

[0004] One active layer stripe emitting laser light
A multi-stripe array semiconductor laser in which 0 to 100 lines are linearly arranged to provide a light source in a broken line shape is known as a high-power laser.

A CW is used as a linear array semiconductor laser in which active layer stripes of a semiconductor laser are arranged one-dimensionally.
(Continuous oscillation) Up to 20 W output can be obtained. In a multi-stripe array semiconductor laser, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, ten to several tens of stripes each having an emitter having an end having a width of about 100 μm to 200 μm are arranged at regular intervals in a plane having a total width of about 1 cm. ing.

As described above, a light source in which ten to several tens of laser beams are emitted from one semiconductor laser element and whose line segments are connected in series in a broken line is provided.

In order to use a multi-stripe array semiconductor laser for laser processing or medical purposes, it is necessary to devise a method of concentrating a high level of energy in a narrow area. Each stripe light is emitted from a flat light source, and the beam divergence angle has a large vertical component φ with respect to the active layer.
0 ° and the parallel component θ is small and about 10 °. The width of the light emitting source has a narrow vertical component of 1 μm or less, and a wide parallel component of 100 μm to 200 μm as described above.

Due to the characteristics of the semiconductor laser described above, when the light emitted from the semiconductor laser is condensed and condensed using a lens, the vertical component can be easily converged, but the parallel component has a wide light source. Since the divergence angle is smaller than the vertical component, it is difficult to focus on a minute spot.

D. C Shannon et. al is O
out Lett. , 16, 318 (1991) disclose an apparatus for narrowing down such an array semiconductor laser collectively by using an aspherical lens and exciting a solid-state laser. However, since the coupling loss of this fiber is large and the parallel component of LD light can be reduced to only a few mm, conversely, the method of the solid-state laser resonator is distorted to match the pumping space. is necessary.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, microlenses are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the stripes, each stripe light is collected and collimated, and then a plurality of aperture beams are superimposed by a focusing lens. It has been reported by Yamaguchi et al. That Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 4-07 / 2007
No. 8179 (corresponding to US patent application Ser. No. 07 / 828,347 filed by the same assignee as the present application). However, the narrowed beam spot diameter depends on the distance between the focusing lens and the beam spot (that is, the focal length f2 of the focusing lens) and the distance between the semiconductor laser stripe and the microlens (that is, the focal length f of the microlens).
A value obtained by multiplying the width of the light source by a magnification (f2 / f1) determined by the ratio of 1). Accordingly, the major axis ω1 (horizontal portion) of the beam spot is equal to the stripe width (ω0: 100 μm to 200 μm).
m) multiplied by the above magnification (ω0f2 / f1). Since the vertical component has a very small light source width (1 nm or less), even if the same magnification (f2 / f1) is applied, the spot diameter does not become large. Therefore, considering the convergence of the stripe in the width direction, it is better to dispose the microlenses as far as possible from the stripe in order to reduce the beam spot and increase the light intensity. However, this is difficult considering that the divergence angle of the vertical component of the stripe light is large and the radiant energy leaking out of the lens aperture is large. Therefore, the vertical and horizontal components are condensed by separate cylindrical lenses, and the vertical and horizontal components are condensed by separate cylindrical lenses. It is conceivable that micro-cylindrical lenses corresponding to each stripe for light on a one-to-one basis are spaced apart.

As typical LD stripes on the market, there are 12 LD stripes having a thickness of 1 μm and a width of 200 μm arranged at a pitch of 800 μm. Since the parallel component of the stripe light has a beam divergence angle of 10 °, adjacent stripe lights overlap at about 3.4 mm from the emission end of the stripe. When placing the lens after the polymerization,
Some of the light is rays that are at an angle to the axis of the lens and are focused at a point different from the focal point of the focusing lens, reducing the efficiency of the system. Therefore, in order to collimate each stripe light using the micro cylindrical lens array, it is necessary to place a lens (focal length f1 ≦ 3.4 mm) at a close position within 3.4 mm. If the magnification (f2 / f1) determined by the combination with the focal length F2 of the focusing lens that focuses the collimated light is multiplied by the width of the stripe, the focusing spot diameter must be increased.

As described above, conventionally, it has been difficult to concentrate the laser light emitted from the linear array LD, which is emitted in a broken line shape, on a small area at a high density.

Further, according to the end face pumping method in which the semiconductor laser pumped solid laser is optically pumped from the direction of the optical axis of the solid laser, high efficiency can be achieved by matching the pump laser space with the semiconductor laser output light to the solid laser oscillation mode space. Single fundamental transverse mode oscillation can be realized.

A multi-stripe array semiconductor laser generating element in which active layers of a semiconductor laser are arranged one-dimensionally has one
An output of 0 W or more is obtained, and the output is sufficient for laser micromachining. If this multi-stripe laser light is directly condensed using an optical system and can be narrowed down to a sufficiently narrow spot, the output of the semiconductor laser should be able to be used for laser processing.

However, as described above, in the multi-stripe array semiconductor laser generating element, when the light emitted from the semiconductor laser generating element is condensed and narrowed using a lens, the vertical component can be easily narrowed, but the parallel component can be easily reduced by the light source. Is so wide that it is difficult to narrow down to a minute spot.

When such an array semiconductor laser is used as an excitation light source, the width of the array is about 1 cm in length as described above. Therefore, a plurality of beams are converged into one spot using an ordinary lens system. Therefore, it was not possible to use an end-pumping method with high pumping efficiency, so that it could be applied only to the side-pumping method.

[0017]

In view of the above problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor laser device using a linear array semiconductor laser, in which the energy density at the focal point of the semiconductor laser device is increased.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel optical path for use in a semiconductor laser device using a linear array semiconductor laser so that the focus of the semiconductor laser device can be extremely reduced and the energy density can be increased. It is to provide a converter.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a powerful semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device using the above-described semiconductor laser device.

[0020]

In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor laser device according to the present invention comprises a linear array laser diode in which a plurality of elongated emitters for emitting a laser beam are linearly arranged in the longitudinal direction. A first collimating element for collimating (collimating) a laser beam emitted from each emitter or an emitter group composed of a plurality of emitters in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the emitter, and a collimating element in only one direction An optical path converter for turning the emitted laser beam in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the emitter and outputting the laser beam, and a second laser beam for parallelizing the laser beam output from the optical path converter in a direction corresponding to the long axis of the emitter. It is characterized by comprising a collimating element and a focusing element for focusing a laser beam collimated in two directions at a focal point.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical path changing device for receiving a light beam radiated in a slit shape and changing the direction of the slit in a cross section of the light beam to a substantially right angle along an optical axis. A plurality of optical elements to be rotated and emitted, a light receiving surface and an emission surface of each optical element are linearly arranged adjacent to each other,
It is characterized in that it corresponds to the radiation surface of a linear array laser diode. That is, the optical path changer of the present invention is arranged so that the direction corresponding to each linear emitter of the linear array semiconductor laser or the emitter of the laser beam emitted from each emitter group is turned substantially at right angles along the optical axis. Is configured.

Further, in order to achieve the above still another object,
In a semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device according to the present invention, an end face on which excitation light of the solid-state laser device is incident on a focal point of the laser beam output from the semiconductor laser device is arranged.

[0023]

The laser beam emitted from the long and narrow emitters of the linear array laser diode arranged in a dotted line has a small radiation angle in the longitudinal direction of the emitter and a large radiation angle in the vertical direction. Energy cannot be concentrated in small areas. In addition, as described above, the emission angle in the width direction is small, and since the overall width of the laser beam emitted from the linear array laser diode is large corresponding to the width of the linear array laser diode, energy is concentrated in a small area. Is difficult to do. However, in the semiconductor laser device of the present invention, a laser beam from a long and narrow emitter arranged in a dotted line of a linear array laser diode is received by a first collimating element and refracted in a direction perpendicular to the emitter to be perpendicular to the emitter. The beam is turned into a beam substantially parallel to the cross section, input to the above-mentioned optical path converter to change the direction of the laser beam and to rotate the direction corresponding to the emitter axis to almost a right angle. The laser beam is refracted in a direction perpendicular to the laser beam with a different converging power to change the anisotropically emitted laser beam into a substantially parallel light beam, and then converges to one point by the focusing element. Therefore, the semiconductor laser device of the present invention can sufficiently converge the laser energy generated by the linear array laser diode to an extremely small area, so that it can be sufficiently used for laser processing and medical use.

When the optical path converter of the present invention is installed in front of a linear array semiconductor laser, each optical element emits a laser beam emitted from each linear emitter of the linear array semiconductor laser or an emitter group including a plurality of emitters. And the direction corresponding to the long axis of the emitter of the laser beam is turned substantially at right angles along the optical axis. Accordingly, in the laser beam output from the optical path converter, the partial beam for each optical element whose major axis of the emitter is turned at right angles is arranged in parallel in a ladder shape by the number of optical elements, It can be treated in substantially the same manner as the linear array semiconductor laser emitters arranged in a ladder. Focusing in the vertical direction of the emitter is easy, and it is easy to converge light rays from the emitters arranged in parallel in a ladder shape to an extremely narrow area. A semiconductor laser device that has the effect of arranging the emitters of an array semiconductor laser substantially in a ladder shape can concentrate the energy of a linear array semiconductor laser at an extremely small focal point.

Also, the semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device of the present invention, in which the concentrated laser light is incident on a solid-state laser as excitation light, can perform end-face excitation utilizing a powerful semiconductor laser, and has high efficiency and good beam quality. Solid state laser output can be obtained.

[0026]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 3 is a plan view of a semiconductor laser device according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an elevation view thereof.

Multi-stripe array semiconductor laser 10
Is a commonly available one in which 10 to 100 (for example, 12 and 6 are shown for convenience in the figure) active layer stripes 12 which emit a laser beam within a width of about 10 mm are arranged in a line. It is. The cross section of each active layer stripe 12 is, for example, 100 μm to 200 μm in width and 0.1 μm in thickness.
The laser beam emitted from the end face of the active layer stripe having a thickness of 1 μm to 1 μm has an emission angle in the thickness direction of 40 ° to 50 ° and an emission angle in the width direction of about 10 °. Has become. Since the active layer stripes are arranged in a row at the end of the multi-stripe array semiconductor laser 10, the emission of the semiconductor laser is in a dotted line in a row.

The first columnar lens 20 has a converging power in the thickness direction of the active layer stripe for the laser beam emitted from the multi-stripe array semiconductor laser 10, and diverges a component perpendicular to the active layer stripe to parallel light. I do. Since the first columnar lens 20 has the same thickness in the width direction and the light travels substantially straight, the radiation angle of the laser beam in the width direction remains unchanged at about 10 °.

The optical path converter 30 rotates the cross section of the laser beam output from the first columnar lens 20 by approximately 90 ° with respect to the incident light. The optical path converter 30 is provided for each active layer stripe 12 of the multi-stripe array semiconductor laser 10 by one.
The optical elements corresponding to one pair are linearly arranged so as to correspond to each active layer stripe. The laser beam (see FIG. 3) which is scattered by the first columnar lens 20 at an angle of about 10 ° in the width direction and becomes parallel light in the thickness direction is
The optical path changer 30 allows about 9
Since it is rotated by 0 °, it is converted into light parallel to the thickness direction with a radiation angle of about 10 ° in the width direction (see FIG. 4). Note that the optical element may correspond to a stripe group including a plurality of active layer stripes.

Since the laser beams converted by the optical path changer of about 90 ° are arranged in parallel by the number of active layer stripes or stripe groups, the emitted light of the multi-stripe array semiconductor laser 10 emits the active layer stripes in a ladder shape. When they are arranged in parallel, they are substantially the same.

A second columnar lens 40 is provided in parallel with the width direction of the multi-stripe array semiconductor 10. In the laser light emitted from the multi-stripe array semiconductor laser 10 and having passed through the first columnar lens 20 and the optical path converter 30, a component perpendicular to the active layer stripe is parallel light for each active layer stripe, and the emission angle in the width direction is about Although they are 10 °, they are arranged in a ladder shape, so that the emission angle of the entire laser beam in the direction along the light emitting surface axis of the semiconductor laser is about 10 °. Since the second columnar lens 40 receives this laser beam and makes it parallel in the width direction, the laser beam becomes parallel in any direction.

The converging lens 50 converges the laser beam, which has passed through the second columnar lens and becomes perfect parallel light, into a small beam spot.

Here, the focal length of the first columnar lens 20 is f1, the focal length of the second columnar lens 40 is f3, the focal length of the focusing lens 50 is f2, the width of the active stripe is ω0,
Assuming that the thickness is d0, the width ω1 and thickness d1 of the laser beam spot from one active layer stripe can be obtained as follows.

D1 = d0 · f2 / f1 ω1 = ω0 · f2 / f3 Therefore, in order to obtain a sharp spot, the larger the values of f1 and f3, the better. Here, ω0 is 100 μm to 200 μm, d0
Is larger than f3, considering that the distance is 0.1 μm to 1 μm. ω0 is 200μ
m, the pitch is 800 μm, and the emission angle in the major axis direction of the active layer stripe is 10 °, so that lasers from adjacent stripes overlap in the major axis direction at a distance of 3.4 mm from the stripe surface. Therefore, when not using the optical path converter of the present invention,
In order to efficiently use the output energy, both the first and second columnar lenses need to be provided at a distance of 3.4 mm or less from the stripe surface. In order to collimate the laser beam, f1 and f3 are required. Must be at most 3.4 mm. However, when a first columnar lens having an appropriate value of f1 of 3.4 mm or less is placed at a distance of 3.4 mm or less from the stripe surface, and the laser beam is rotated by the optical path changing device of the present invention, each active stripe becomes The corresponding lasers are arranged in parallel so that they become parallel light and do not overlap each other. Then, it has a spread of about 10 ° in a direction parallel to the paper surface of FIG. The focal length f3 can be set to a sufficiently large value so that the emitted light is converted into parallel light by the second columnar lens. That is, f3 is 3.4 mm
Can be selected without being constrained by
For example, when the same value as the focal length f2 of the converging lens is selected, the beam spot width ω1 is 200 μm. Thus, according to the laser device of the present invention, the width ω1 and thickness d1 of the beam spot can be set to sufficiently small values,
It is possible to obtain a powerful laser that efficiently uses the output of the linear array laser diode. Therefore, the laser device of the present invention can be used for medical treatment as laser processing, a laser knife, or the like.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a semiconductor laser device of the present invention when a pseudo continuous wave laser diode QCWLD or the like having a high density of light emitting portions is used as a linear array laser diode. Linear array laser diode 10
Are provided with a large number of active layer stripes 12 at a high density to form a substantially linear light emitting portion without any division. The optical path changing device 30 is formed by arranging an appropriate number of optical elements irrespective of the size of the active layer stripe or having dimensions corresponding to a predetermined number of stripes. First columnar lens 20, optical path converter 30, second columnar lens 4
0, the position and operation of the focusing lens 50 are the same as those described in FIG. When using a laser diode in which the width of the active layer stripe is short or its interval is small,
If the optical elements of the optical path converter correspond one-to-one with the active layer stripes, it becomes difficult to manufacture the optical path converter. In this embodiment,
Instead, an appropriate number of active layer stripes are grouped to correspond to this. In addition, instead of seeing the light emitting portion of the laser diode as a dotted line, it is regarded as a single stripe, which is appropriately divided by an optical element and turned to change into a laser diode which emits light in a substantially ladder shape. It can also be considered.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a laser device according to the present invention using an optical fiber 60, and FIG. 7 is an elevation view thereof. The light receiving surface of the optical fiber 60 is arranged at the position of the laser spot formed by the laser device, and receives the laser energy radiated from the laser 10 and transmits it to the other end surface of the optical fiber 60. Due to the length and flexibility of the optical fiber 60, it is possible to obtain an easy-to-use laser device in which the light-emitting unit can be easily brought to a target place for work. A linear array laser diode 10 having an output of 10 W is used as a light source and has a core diameter of 400 μm.
The laser device configured to form a laser spot smaller than the cross section of the core on the incident surface of the optical fiber 60 achieves 60% efficiency.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining an optical path converter of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram for explaining the function of an optical element as a component of light. Optical path converter 3
Reference numeral 0 denotes a horizontally long portion formed by connecting an appropriate number of optical elements 32 in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. The length of the optical path converter corresponds to the light emitting surface of the linear array laser diode. The optical element 32 includes, as shown in FIG. 9, a light receiving surface 34 for receiving a laser beam 37 having an axial direction of the active layer stripe in the longitudinal direction of the optical path changing device in a direction perpendicular to the surface, and along the optical axis inside the optical element. And an output surface 36 for outputting a laser beam 38 whose optical path has been converted by the process of twisting the optical path, perpendicularly from the surface. The optical element 32 emits, for example, a laser beam 37 having a horizontal stripe major axis direction emitted from active layer stripes arranged at a repetition interval of 800 μm.
And the direction of the cross section of the received laser beam is almost 9
The conversion is performed such that the stripe axis direction becomes vertical by turning by 0 °. The angle relationship between the light receiving surface and the output surface may be arbitrary, but it is most preferable in terms of the design of the apparatus that both surfaces are parallel and output while maintaining the optical axis direction of the incident light.
Further, when the light receiving surface and the output surface are not parallel, it is easy to further reflect the outgoing light having a certain angle with respect to the incident direction to change the direction of the optical axis, and to direct it in a preferable direction in the structure of the device. is there.

The optical element 32 used for the optical path converter 30 is
Generally, an active layer stripe 1 of a linear array laser diode 10 used in a laser device incorporating an optical path converter.
2 so as to correspond one-to-one. Therefore, for example, when a linear array laser diode in which 12 active layer stripes are arranged at a repetition interval of 800 μm is used, the optical path changer has 12 optical elements arranged at a repetition interval of 800 μm.

However, when the active layer stripes are arranged at a high density as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the laser beam is regarded as being emitted from one continuous line, and the optical path conversion is performed. The laser beam received by the laser beam is divided at an appropriate interval, and the laser beam is swirled by about 90 ° for each portion, so that the laser beam is treated as a linear array laser diode having a ladder-shaped light emitting portion having the interval substantially as a width. be able to. For such a purpose, it is sufficient to arrange an appropriate number of optical elements in parallel regardless of the number of active layer stripes.

According to the fact that the radiation surface of the linear array laser diode is flat, the entrance surface 34 of the optical path converter 30
And the light exit surface 36 are respectively 1 throughout the optical path converter.
Arranging them so that they lie on two planes is advantageous in terms of the structure of the laser device. In addition, it is possible to divide one incident light into two optical paths in the optical element and emit the light from two emission surfaces. In this case as well, each emission surface has one plane. Place it as above.

The optical element 32 can be formed based on various principles.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the principle in the case where the optical path is converted by a combination of two reflecting surfaces. A first reflecting surface .sigma.1 having a unit vector N1 and a second having a unit normal vector N2 are provided inside an optical element having an incident surface on which incident light is vertically incident and an emitting surface on which emitted light is emitted vertically.
Is provided. Unit vector A of the optical axis, unit vector A representing the major axis direction of the laser diode
The incident light having p enters the first reflection surface σ 1 and is reflected by this surface to become a reflected light having the unit vector B of the optical axis and the unit vector Bp representing the major axis direction of the laser diode, and then the second light. And is reflected by this surface to become outgoing light having a unit vector C of the optical axis and a unit vector Cp representing the major axis direction of the laser diode, and output from the optical element. By setting the angles of the two reflecting surfaces so that a predetermined relationship is established, the incident light A is reflected twice by the two reflecting surfaces to change the direction of the optical axis by the angle θ, and the laser beam The direction corresponding to the long axis of the laser diode is turned around the optical axis so as to be changed by about 90 ° as compared with the case of incidence.

FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining the conditions of reflection on the reflection surface. From FIG. 11, when the incident light A is reflected on the reflection surface σ1 of the normal line N1 to become the reflected light B, the relation established between them is as follows: B = A−2 (A · N1) N1 (1) It is clear that Here, A · N indicates an inner product of the unit vector A and the unit vector N. Further, when the reflected light B is reflected by the reflection surface σ2 of the normal line N2 to become the outgoing light C, the relationship established between them is as follows: C = B−2 (B · N2) N2 (2) It is also clear. A similar relationship is Ap,
The relationship also holds between Bp and Cp. Bp = Ap-2 (Ap.N1) N1 (3) Cp = Bp-2 (Bp.N2) N2 (4) Also, since the optical axis of the incident light is orthogonal to the long axis of the laser diode, A · Ap = 0 (5) Assuming that the angle between the incident light A and the outgoing light C is θ, A · C = cos θ (6) Further, the unit vector Ap corresponding to the incident light in the major axis direction of the laser diode. Since the condition of the optical path converter of the present invention is that the light and the output light Cp have an orthogonal relationship, Ap · Cp = 0 (7) From (1), (2), and (6), · A) ² + (N 2 · A) ² -2 (N 1 · A) (N 2 · A) (N 1 · N 2) = (1-cos θ) / 2 (8) (3), (4), (7) ), (N1 · Ap) ² + (N2 · Ap) ² -2 (N1 · Ap) (N2 · Ap) (N1 · N2) = 1/2 (9)

Since the incident light is perpendicularly incident on the incident surface, the normal vector of the incident surface is A, and the emitted light is perpendicularly emitted from the exit surface, and the normal vector of the exit surface is C. . Therefore, the distance between the incident surface, the exit surface, and the incident light of the optical path converter of the present invention is regulated by the expressions (5), (8), and (9).

When the optical path converter has a space defined by two reflecting surfaces, the incident surface and the outgoing surface are merely imaginary surfaces having no real substance.

In an optical path converter composed of a combination of three or more reflecting surfaces, it is difficult to express the above-described relatively simple relational expression because the degree of freedom of the reflecting surface is large.

[0048] For example, as the similarity of the expression in the case of three reflection surfaces (8) and Equation (9), (A · N1 ) 2 + (A · N2) 2 + (A · N3) 2 -2 (A.N1) (N1.N2) (N2.A) -2 (A.N2) (N2.N3) (N3.A) -2 (A.N3) (N3.N1) (N1.A) +4 (A · N1) (N1 · N2) (N2 · N3) (N3 · A) = (1−cos θ) / 2 (8) ′ (Ap · N1) ² + (Ap · N2) ² + (Ap · ^{N3) 2 -2 (Ap · N1} ) (N1 · N2) (N2 · Ap) -2 (Ap · N2) (N3 · N1) (N1 · Ap) -2 (Ap · N3) (N3 · N1) ( N11Ap) +4 (Ap ・ N1) (N1 (N2) (N2 ・ N3) (N3 ・ Ap) = 1/2 (9) '

However, a more practical method can be considered as follows. That is, the reflected light obtained by reflecting the incident light twice by the first two reflecting surfaces has an optical axis at an angle θ with respect to the first incident light based on the relational expression (8).
Only different. Therefore, the third reflecting surface is set at this angle θ.
When installed in an appropriate direction determined by the relationship, the reflected light can be reflected by the third reflecting surface and emitted in the same direction as the incident light. At this time, the position and orientation of the reflection surface are determined so that the direction of the emitted light beam corresponding to the active layer stripe of the laser beam turns 90 ° with respect to the incident light. An optical path changer formed by integrating a large number of such optical elements has the same effect as distributing the active layer stripes of the linear array laser diode substantially in a ladder shape, thereby achieving the object of the present invention. In this manner, a typical optical path converter composed of a combination of three reflecting surfaces can be obtained.

The optical path changing device can be constituted by a prism. In this case, the reflection surface corresponds to the internal reflection surface of the prism. One of the simplest optical path changers composed of prisms is one in which the optical element is a triangular pyramid. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the simplest triangular pyramid-shaped optical element having two reflection surfaces.

The triangular pyramid prism ABCD of FIG. 12 is represented by a thick line in the cube ABECDEFG. That is, the optical element is a triangular pyramid defined by an entrance surface ABC, an exit surface ACD, a first reflection surface ABD, and a second reflection surface BCD.
The incident surface ABC is a part of the cubic front surface ABCE, and is arranged so that the normal line is parallel to the optical axis of the incident light beam, that is, orthogonal to the incident light beam. The first reflection surface ABD is constituted by a part of a surface ABGD that bisects a cube, and the surface is vertical and obliquely intersects the optical axis of incident light by 45 °. The second reflecting surface BCD is constituted by a part of another surface BCDF that bisects the cube, and the surface is inclined by 45 ° with respect to a horizontal plane and is parallel to the optical axis of the incident light. The exit surface ACD is part of the cubic upper surface ACDE.

The incident light beam is a laser beam emitted from one active layer stripe of the linear array laser diode, and the horizontal direction corresponds to the direction of the active layer stripe. The incident light beam irradiates the incident surface ABC perpendicularly, and substantially all of the radiant energy passes through the incident surface and then enters the first reflecting surface ABD. Since the first reflecting surface is vertical and has an inclination of 45 ° with respect to the incident light, the incident light propagates parallel to the incident surface of the optical element while keeping the optical axis horizontal, and the second reflecting surface Light is incident on the BCD. Since the second reflecting surface is inclined by 45 ° with respect to the horizontal direction, the incident light is reflected by the second reflecting surface and travels vertically upward. The reflected light beam reflected by the second reflecting surface is perpendicularly incident on the exit surface ACD, so it is emitted without changing its direction and travels vertically upward.

At this time, the direction of the incident light beam corresponding to the active layer stripe changes in the direction opposite to the optical axis on the first reflection surface, but stays in the same horizontal plane. The direction corresponding to the active layer stripe changes by 90 ° when the reflected light beam reflects off the second reflecting surface so that it is in a vertical plane.

To describe the shape of the triangular pyramid prism ABCD in more detail, the triangle ABC and the triangle CDA are right-angled isosceles triangles, the sides AB, AC, and CD have the same length, and the angles BAC and DCA are right angles. Surface ABC and Surface CDA
Is orthogonal, the angle between plane ABC and plane ABD, plane CD
The angle between A and the plane CDB is 45 °. The light incident surface is a surface ABC, and the light emitting surface is a surface CDA. As shown in FIG. 8, the light beam incident on the surface ABC is the surface ABD followed by the surface CDB.
, And is emitted from the surface CDA. That is, assuming that the ray emitted from the linear ray enters the surface ABC as the line segment α1β2, the line segment α2β2 of the surface ABD and the line segment α3β3 of the surface CDB
, And is emitted as a line segment α4β4 of the surface CDA.

In a multi-stripe array semiconductor laser in which semiconductor laser active layer stripes are one-dimensionally arranged, usually 10 to 100 stripes having a width of about 100 μm to 200 μm are arranged at regular intervals in a plane having a total width of about 1 cm. ing. Therefore, from one semiconductor laser element to 10 to 1
A dotted linear light source from which 00 laser beams are emitted is provided. Each stripe light is emitted from a flat light source,
Beam emission angle is about 40 ° with large vertical component to active layer
５０50 °, and the horizontal component is small, about 10 °. The width of the light emitting source has a narrow vertical component of 0.1 μm to 1 μm,
The horizontal component is generally 100 μm to 200 μm as described above. Therefore, when the light emitted from the semiconductor laser is condensed and narrowed using a lens, the vertical component can be easily narrowed down, but the horizontal component is difficult to narrow down to a minute spot due to the wide width of the light source. . For this reason, it is conceivable to arrange the microlenses in a one-to-one correspondence with the stripes, condense each stripe light, collimate the light, and then narrow down the light with a lens. Distance and stripes ~
The spot diameter is obtained by multiplying the magnification determined by the ratio between the microlenses and the width of the stripe.

For this reason, it is better to dispose the microlenses as far as possible from the stripe, but this is difficult considering the large radiation angle of the vertical component of the stripe light. Therefore, it is conceivable that the vertical component and the horizontal component are condensed by separate lenses, the lens for condensing the vertical component is placed at a short distance from the stripe, and the lens for condensing the horizontal component is placed away from the stripe. Since the horizontal component also has a radiation angle of 10 °, the distance between adjacent stripe light beams is limited above a certain distance because the stripe light beams overlap each other.

In order to converge the light far from the active layer stripe, it is necessary to devise a method in which the stripe lights do not overlap each other.

Therefore, in order to prevent adjacent stripe lights from overlapping each other, the stripes arranged in a broken line are rotated by 90 ° and converted by using a prism as if they were arranged in a ladder shape. That is, the prisms as shown in FIG. 12 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the respective stripes. The stripe light α1β2 is converted into α4β4 by two total reflections in the prism.
Is converted as follows. That is, if there are many stripes, the arrangement is apparently converted to a ladder. The vertical component of the stripe light with respect to the active layer is condensed by using a cylindrical lens or a cylindrical lens 20 arranged at a short distance to the stripe, and the horizontal component is reflected by the light emitted from the triangular pyramid prism by the right-angle prism. If the cylindrical lens 40 is arranged so that the axis is parallel to the optical axis of the semiconductor laser and then the emitted light from the right-angle prism is condensed, even if the optical distance between the stripe and the cylindrical lens is long, stripe light between adjacent stripes can be obtained. There is no overlap. In this way, the ratio between the distance between the focusing lens and the beam spot and the distance between the stripe and the cylindrical lens can be made small, so that a focused beam spot with a small diameter can be obtained. As for the vertical component, although the ratio between the distance between the focusing lens and the beam spot and the distance between the stripe and the cylindrical lens increases, the beam spot narrowed down does not increase because the amount of the light source is small.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an optical path converter in which an appropriate number of the optical elements of FIG. 12 are arranged, preferably the same number as the active layer stripes of the linear array laser diode, and adjacently arranged in parallel. The optical elements are incident surfaces ABC, and the exit surface A
The CDs are arranged so as to be on the same plane. The distance between the optical elements is the same as the distance between the active layer stripes in the linear array laser diode, and each optical element is arranged so as to correspond to the active layer stripe one by one.

The laser beam emitted from each active layer stripe is changed from horizontal to vertical without changing the mutual interval by the optical path converter provided corresponding to the light emitting surface of the linear array laser diode. Therefore, the laser beam processed by the optical path converter and emitted from the upper surface is equivalent to the laser beam emitted from the linear array laser diode in which the active layer strings are arranged in a ladder shape.

However, since the optical axis changes its direction by 90 ° as compared with the direction at the time of emission from the LD, handling becomes difficult. It is desirable that the converted light be directed in the same direction. For this purpose, light emitted from the prism array may be reflected at a right angle by using a right angle prism. FIG. 14 shows an optical path converter in which a right-angle prism 33 whose cross section is a right-angled isosceles triangle is joined to the exit surface of the prism array of FIG. The laser beams obtained by the optical path converter remain substantially parallel in a ladder shape, and therefore, adjacent stripe lights do not overlap. By this method, an optical axis obtained by translating the original optical axis is obtained.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a truncated triangular pyramid optical element in which the vertex A of the optical element ABCD of FIG. 12 is cut by a plane parallel to the bottom surface BCD. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an optical path converter obtained by arranging the optical elements of FIG. 15 in parallel.
FIG. 3 is a view showing an optical path converter in which a right-angle prism 33 is further added thereto.

FIG. 1 in which the triangular pyramids of FIG. 12 are arranged.
3. If an optical path converter as shown in FIG. 14 is used, light rays that have successfully entered the prism can be converted, but LD light that has deviated from the prism cannot be converted. Therefore, a triangular truncated pyramid BCDHIJ cut by a plane parallel to the second reflection surface BCD of the triangular pyramid ABCD is used as an optical element, and the bottom surface B
If the CD and the top surface HIJ of the adjacent optical element are closely attached and arranged side by side (FIG. 16), the gap between the prisms can be filled, and the LD light can be taken in without waste.

In the optical path converter of FIG. 16, since the direction of the optical axis of the outgoing light beam is orthogonal to that of the incident light beam, it is not convenient to construct the entire laser device. In the optical path converter of FIG. 17, the direction of the optical axis of the outgoing light beam is the same as that of the incident light beam, so that there is an advantage that the configuration of the entire laser device is simplified. This is the same as the optical path changer of FIG. 14 being advantageous over the optical path changer of FIG.

FIG. 18 is a view showing an oblique prism having the same three reflecting surfaces as the optical element shown in FIG. 14 or FIG. That is, this oblique prism is a prism in which each inclined surface in the combination of three right angle prisms shown in FIG. 19 is a reflection surface, and has a shape capable of continuously arranging a plurality of prisms. I have. In FIG. 19, the first reflecting surface .sigma.1 is inclined at an angle of 45.degree. About the vertical line with respect to the horizontally incident incident light, and reflects the incident light on a horizontal plane so as to be parallel to the incident surface. I do. The second reflection surface σ2 is inclined by 45 ° with respect to the horizontal plane, and reflects the reflected light traveling horizontally by being reflected by the first reflection surface σ1 vertically upward. The third reflecting surface σ3 has a slope 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.
It is inclined, and deflects the incoming light beam horizontally and emits it. The incident surface is a surface substantially perpendicular to the incident light beam, and the exit surface is a surface parallel to the incident surface.

The oblique prism prism ABCDEFGH of FIG.
In order to explain the shape of, a cube AIJKLBMN and a triangular prism BMNLQP whose cross section is a right isosceles triangle are assumed. Assuming that the front surface AIBL of the cube is the incident surface, the first reflecting surface σ1 corresponds to AJML formed by connecting the even vertices of the cube, and the second reflecting surface σ2 corresponds to the surface ABMK formed by connecting the even vertices. The third reflecting surface .sigma.3 corresponds to the slope BPQL of the triangular prism, and the exit surface corresponds to the surface JPQK.
Further, since the point A and the point M are at the same distance from the plane BPQL, the cubic diagonal line AM is parallel to the slope BPQL of the triangular prism.

In the oblique prism ABCDEFGH,
Point D is located at any position on the diagonal line AM of the cube, and point E
Is selected at an arbitrary position on the side AL. Since the surface ADHE is a parallelogram formed by the line segment AD and the line segment AE belonging to the first reflection surface σ1, it is within the first reflection surface σ1. Surface A
The BCD is a parallelogram having two sides of the diagonal line AB and the line segment AD, and is within the second reflection surface σ2. Further, since the line segment BC is parallel to the diagonal line AM, the line segment BC exists in the inclined surface BPQL of the triangular prism, and therefore, the surface BCGF is in the third reflection surface σ3. Furthermore, since each side of the exit surface CDHG is parallel to the corresponding side of the incident surface ABEF, it is parallel to the incident surface ABEF. The upper surface EFGH is parallel to the lower surface ABCD.

Incidentally, this prism shape corresponds to the first reflecting surface σ 1
Since the intersection angle between the second reflection surface σ2 and the second reflection surface σ2 and the second reflection surface σ3 are both 60 °, a prism having a cross section of an equilateral triangle is processed and the target prism is formed. Can be easily obtained. That is, it is only necessary to diagonally cut a quadrangular prism formed by cutting one ridge line parallel to the bottom of the prism, and a highly accurate prism can be obtained by a simple operation.
The incident surface ABEF of the oblique prism is arranged so that the incident light beam enters almost perpendicularly. The first reflecting surface ADHE intersects perpendicularly with the incident surface ABEF and has an intersection angle of approximately 45 ° to deflect the incident light beam in the horizontal direction. Since the second reflecting surface ABCD has an inclination of 45 ° with respect to the horizontal plane, the horizontally incident light beam is vertically deflected. Since the third reflecting surface BCGF has a 45 ° inclination angle with respect to the vertical surface, it deflects the vertically incident light beam in the horizontal direction. Finally, this horizontally deflected ray is incident on the exit surface CDHG almost vertically and is transmitted therethrough,
The light beam is emitted as a light beam in which the direction of the cross section perpendicular to the optical axis of the light beam is converted by approximately 90 °.

FIG. 20 is a drawing showing an optical path converter obtained by arranging a plurality of the optical elements of FIG. 18 in parallel. By arranging a required number of optical elements and aligning the incident surface and the third reflecting surface in the same plane, and joining the bottom surface of the optical element to the upper surface of an adjacent optical element, the optical path converter can be formed. Can be configured. In the figure, the trajectory of the incident light is drawn for explanation. It can be seen that the laser beams arranged in a dotted line are converted into a ladder-shaped laser beam by passing through the optical path converter.

FIG. 21 is a drawing showing another example of an oblique prism having three reflecting surfaces. This oblique prism is also a prism such that each of the three oblique prisms becomes a reflecting surface, similarly to the oblique prism shown in FIG.
The shape is such that a plurality of prisms can be continuously arranged.

The oblique prism prism ABCDEFGH of FIG.
In order to describe the shape of, a cube AIJKLMND and a triangular prism DLMNQP whose cross section is a right-angled isosceles triangle are assumed. Assuming that the front surface AILD of the cube is the incident surface, the first reflecting surface σ1 corresponds to the surface AJPD, the second reflecting surface σ2 corresponds to the surface ALMK, and the third reflecting surface σ3 corresponds to the inclined surface LPQD of a triangular prism. I do. The diagonal line AM of the cube is parallel to the slope LPQD of the triangular prism.

In the oblique prism ABCDEFGH,
The point B is selected at an arbitrary position on the diagonal line AL such that an area of the second reflecting surface sufficient to reflect an incident light beam can be secured. Point F is an arbitrary point on a line drawn from point B in parallel with the diagonal line AM, and point E is on the diagonal line AM, and a line segment B from the vertex A.
It is at a position separated by the same length as F. Since the surface ABFE is a parallelogram having two sides of the line segment AB and the line segment AE on the second reflection surface, the surface ABFE is within the second reflection surface σ2. The line segment AE also belongs to the first reflection surface. Line segment EH is parallel to ridgeline AD,
Line segment DH is parallel to line segment AE. Therefore, the surface ADHE
Is a parallelogram belonging to the first reflection surface σ1,
In the reflection surface σ2. The line segment AE also belongs to the first reflection surface. Line segment EH is parallel to ridgeline AD, line segment DH is line segment AE
Is parallel to Therefore, the surface ADHE is the first reflecting surface .sigma.1
Is a parallelogram belonging to. Point H is on the diagonal line DP of the third reflecting surface. The line BC is parallel to the ridge line AD, the line FG is parallel to the diagonal line AM, the line FG is parallel to the ridge BC, and the line CG is parallel to the line DH.
Is parallel to the first reflecting surface. Also, points D, C, G, H
Belongs to the third reflecting surface, so that the surface DCGH belongs to the third reflecting surface. The sides EF, FG, GH, and HE are parallel to the corresponding sides of the incident surface. Thus, the plane EFGH is parallel to the plane of incidence ABCD.

The oblique prism ADHE in FIG. 21 is arranged so that an incident light beam is incident almost perpendicularly. First reflective surface AD
HE intersects the incidence plane ABCD at a vertical line, and the intersection angle is almost 4
At 5 °, the incident light beam is deflected horizontally. Second reflective surface A
Since BFE has a 45 ° inclination with respect to the horizontal plane, it deflects horizontally incident light rays vertically upward. Since the third reflecting surface DCGH has a 45 ° inclination angle with respect to the vertical, the third reflecting surface DCGH deflects the vertically incident light beam in the horizontal direction. Finally, the horizontally deflected light beam is incident on the exit surface EFGH almost perpendicularly and is transmitted, and the direction of the cross section perpendicular to the optical axis of the light beam is substantially 90 degrees.
It is emitted as a converted ray.

FIG. 22 is a drawing showing an optical path converter obtained by arranging a plurality of the optical elements of FIG. 21 in parallel. By arranging the required number of optical elements, the incident surface thereof and the third reflecting surface are respectively aligned within the same plane, and the bottom surface of the optical element is joined to the upper surface of the adjacent optical element, the optical path converter is formed. Can be configured. In the figure, the trajectory of the incident light beam is drawn for explanation. It can be seen that the laser beams arranged in a dotted line are converted into a ladder-shaped laser beam by passing through the optical path converter.

FIG. 23 shows an optical path converter 30 equivalent to that shown in FIG. 22, in which a suitable portion is cut out of a prismatic transparent material and integrally formed instead of joining a plurality of optical elements as a unit. FIG. The optical path converter can be mass-produced using a mold. Also, by applying the silicon semiconductor manufacturing process, it is possible to manufacture an optical path converter having such a fine structure.

In this optical path converter 30, the incident surface 34 and the exit surface 36, which are parallel to each other, intersect with the incident surface 34 at an included angle A of 135 °, and the output surface 36 has an included angle B of 45 °.
A third reflection surface .sigma.3 intersecting at an angle of tan-1 (1 / .SIGMA.2) with respect to the incidence surface 34. The valleys are formed of a periodically bent surface continuously formed in a washing plate shape, and each ridge line and each valley line have a surface 39 parallel to the third reflection surface σ3. FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing the optical path converter of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 24, the plate material 300 has its front and back surfaces parallel to each other, and one of the surfaces (the upper surface in FIG. 24) is bent (the apex angle α1 of the mountain and the bottom angle α2 of the valley).
Are made of a light-transmitting material (glass, quartz, or the like) forming a periodically bent surface having a triangular waveform cross section of 60 °. Optical path converter 3
2, the angle D (or E) between the plate 300 and the other surface (the bottom surface in FIG. 24) is 135 ° (or 45 °), and the other is the ridge or valley of the triangular waveform. Is obtained by cutting along two parallel planes in which an angle F formed on the surface of is tan ⁻¹ √2.

Next, the optical path conversion principle of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The optical path converter 30 has a 45 ° included angle with respect to the incident surface 34 of the valley surfaces opposing each other at an included angle of 60 ° on the fourth surface 39 forming the washing plate-shaped periodically bent surface. The first reflecting surface σ1 intersecting, the second reflecting surface σ2 intersecting the incident surface 34 and the emitting surface 36 at an angle of 90 °, and the third reflecting surface σ3 opposed to the first reflecting surface σ1 are used as internal reflecting surfaces. Yes, the incident light is totally reflected by each reflecting surface.

The light beam incident on the incident surface 34 is incident on the fourth surface 3
9, the light is reflected by the second reflecting surface σ2 following the first reflecting surface σ1, further reflected by the third reflecting surface σ3, and exits from the exit surface. Here, when a flat light ray emitted from the slit-shaped linear light source is represented by a line segment P1Q1, if this is incident from a direction orthogonal to the incident surface 34, the line segment P2Q2 in the first reflection surface σ1 becomes Reflected by the line segment P3Q3 in the reflection surface σ2 of
Further, since the light is reflected by the line segment P4Q4 in the third reflecting surface σ3,
The light emitted from the light exit surface 36 is represented by a line segment P5Q5. That is, according to this embodiment, the optical axis of the outgoing light is shifted upward by parallel translation in FIG. 25 as compared with the optical axis of the incident light.
Can be rotated only by °.

In the present invention, when the light is emitted from the light source, the striped lights serially arranged in a broken line are rotated by 90 °, and converted by using a prism element as if they were parallel in a ladder shape. . That is, when the prism elements shown in FIG. 25 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the respective stripe lights, the direction of the stripe light P1Q1 is converted to P5Q5 as described above. That is, as shown in FIG. 26, a large number of striped lights Li serially arranged in a dashed line on a straight line are converted into apparently ladder-shaped striped lights Lo by the optical path converter 30.

In the above configuration, a pair of reflection surfaces σ 1 and σ 2 correspond to one stripe light. Therefore, when a large number of active layers having a small width are arranged, an extremely small prism element must be prepared. However, in practice, a pair of reflecting surfaces may correspond to a plurality of stripe lights. In this case, a large number of stripes are divided into the same width as the pitch of adjacent prism elements, and 90
In this case, the laser beam can be stopped down to the same extent as the width of the prism element.

However, it is needless to say that arranging the prism elements one-to-one with the stripe light is preferable in narrowing down the laser light, and in fact, the arrangement pitch and width of the active layer stripes become 100 μm or less. Even in this case, if a silicon semiconductor process or a LIGA process is used, it is possible to manufacture an optical path converter having a reflecting surface corresponding to these active layers on a one-to-one basis.

FIG. 27 shows an optical element 32 shown in FIG.
It is a figure which shows the compound prism which combined two triangular-pyramid prisms axially symmetrically. This composite prism is a prism as shown in FIG. 24 in which the incident surfaces of two triangular pyramid prisms are aligned, and second reflecting surfaces which are made easy to reflect by applying a mirror coating of, for example, aluminum or silver are joined together. An incident light beam incident on the incident surface of the composite prism is reflected upward and emitted by the upper triangular pyramid prism, or is reflected and emitted downward by the lower triangular pyramid prism. Therefore, the allowable range of the incident position of the incident light beam is large, and the energy that can effectively convert the optical path is large. When a single triangular pyramid prism is used, the composite prism is advantageous as compared with the fact that the energy of light irradiating to portions other than the incident surface becomes invalid.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an optical path converter obtained by arranging the compound prisms shown in FIG. 27 in parallel. A long triangular pyramid prism 33 over the entire length of the optical path converter is attached to each of the upper and lower surfaces of the composite prism. Light rays whose optical paths have been converted by the optical path converter (only four beams are shown in the figure for simplicity) are reflected by a reflecting mirror or a prism and directed in the same direction.

FIG. 29 is a view showing a dove prism used as the optical element 32. A Dove prism is also called an image rotation prism, and is a prism with a trapezoidal cross section.Light rays incident parallel to the bottom surface are refracted at the entrance surface, then reflected at the bottom surface, and finally refracted from the exit surface and parallel to the bottom surface. The angle of the surface is selected in consideration of the refractive index of the optical glass so that the light is emitted. The Dove prism rotates an incident image in the prism and emits the image. Therefore, when the incident light beam is incident at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the bottom surface, the direction of the active layer stripe in the beam is 9 ° in the Dove prism.
By rotating by 0 °, the light is emitted from the other surface in a direction perpendicular to the initial direction. As an optical element, for example, a Pechan prism that rotates an image is used.
zm) can also be used.

FIG. 30 shows an optical path converter obtained by arranging the Dove prisms shown in FIG. 29 in parallel. In order to make the laser beam incident on the Dove prism at an angle of about 45 °, each Dove prism is inclined at an angle of about 45 ° with respect to the direction of the laser beam array. Since the laser beam incident on each of the Dove prisms can rotate the direction of the active layer stripe by approximately 90 °, the laser beams from the linear array laser diode substantially form a ladder-like set.

The optical element using the reflecting surface may be not a prism but an appropriately arranged reflecting mirror. FIG. 31 shows FIG.
An optical element having the same function as the second prism. A first reflecting mirror surface .sigma.1 in which a part of the cube is cut away and tilted by 45.degree. So as to reflect an incident light beam vertically in a horizontal plane, and a first reflecting mirror surface .sigma.1 inclining by 45.degree. A second reflecting mirror surface .sigma.2 for reflecting the reflected light beam vertically upward is formed. The first reflecting mirror surface σ1 and the second reflecting mirror surface σ2 are 6
They cross at an angle of 0 °. As the material, metal, metal-plated glass, plastic, silicon and the like can be used.

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing an optical path converter configured as a mirror array in which the optical elements of FIG. 31 are arranged so as to correspond to the active layer stripes of the linear array laser diode. The direction of the laser beam emitted from the active layer stripe is polarized by 90 °, and the direction corresponding to the stripe is changed by 90 °, so that the laser beam of the linear array laser diode has a substantially ladder-like arrangement. A fine optical element corresponding to the active layer stripe of the linear array laser diode is manufactured by a precision mold or, for example, a silicon semiconductor manufacturing process or L
It can be manufactured by applying an IGA process.
In the case of using a silicon crystal, the processing is facilitated if the opening surface of the wall is a reflecting mirror surface. Further, instead of bonding the optical elements, one edge of the prism can be cut off by using a silicon semiconductor process or the like to form an optical path converter as shown in FIG. In this case, a robust and accurate optical path converter can be obtained by a relatively simple manufacturing method.

FIG. 33 is a diagram showing another optical path converter 30 having the same operation and function as those of FIG.

The optical element 32 has one diagonal A 1 A 2 N 2,
From the upper base and the front A1L1L2A2 of a prism having an upper base A1A2N2N1 and a lower base L1L2M2M1 having a parallelogram having A1N1N2, L1M1M2, and L1M1M2 of 45.degree. Is formed by excision. Alternatively, the optical element 32 includes a line A1B1 at which the angle between the vertex A1 and the point B1 on the ridge A2N2 and the vertex A2 is 45 °, and the prism is cut off at a plane A1B1C1 inclined 45 ° with respect to the horizontal plane. Things.

A plurality of optical elements 32 are juxtaposed, and the surface A1C1B1 of the optical element 32 surrounding the cut-out triangular pyramid-shaped space and a part A2B1C1 of the surface of the adjacent optical element are mirror-finished. The optical path converter 30 of FIG. 33 configured in this manner has the same function as the optical path converter of FIG. 32, and the incident light on the first reflecting surface σ1 is rotated by 90 ° and the second reflecting surface σ2 Emitted from

FIG. 34 is a view showing the optical path converter 30 in which the notch in the optical path converter of FIG. 33 is deepened. The optical element 32 has the same function as the prism of FIG.
3 is notched so as to leave the vertex A1 of the prism having the parallelogram as the bottom, but not including the vertex A1 and having a trapezoidal reflecting surface S1R1B1C1 as the second reflecting mirror surface σ2. ing. Optical element surface L1M1N1R1
S1 is the first reflecting mirror surface σ1. The light beam that is horizontally incident on the first reflecting mirror surface σ1 is reflected twice and the second reflecting mirror surface σ2
Exits vertically upward. The present optical path converter has a larger allowable range of the incident position of the incident light beam than the optical path converter of FIG.

FIG. 35 is a view showing an integrated optical path converter formed by cutting a rectangular prism having a rectangular cross section at predetermined intervals instead of joining optical elements as a unit. The front surface DEIR and the upper surface DGKH are orthogonal to each other, and the vertical surface C2B1R2S3 which intersects the front surface DEIH at 45 ° at an interval corresponding to the active layer stripe of the linear array laser diode at the ridge DH, and is perpendicular to the front surface and the upper surface DGKH at 45 ° Notch B1R1S2C2 consisting of intersecting surfaces C2B1R1S2
S3R2 etc. are formed. For example, by applying a silicon semiconductor manufacturing process, it is possible to manufacture an optical path converter having such a fine structure.

FIG. 36 shows that the right-angle prism 33 is further joined to the upper surface of the optical path converter of FIG. 35, and the direction of the laser beam emitted vertically upward by the optical path converter of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an optical path converter configured to emit light in the same direction. Light rays that are reflected in the space surrounded by the reflecting mirror and run vertically upward are incident on the lower surface of the prism, and are emitted in the same direction as the optical axis of the incident light rays by changing the direction by 90 ° on the slope.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 36, the optical path is changed by the right-angle prism, but a reflecting mirror can be used instead of the right-angle prism. FIG. 37 shows a case where a third reflecting mirror surface σ3 is formed on the upper surface of the optical path converter of FIG. 35 and the direction of the laser beam emitted vertically upward by the optical path converter of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an optical path converter configured to emit light in a direction. Reflected mirrors σ1 and σ2 with mirror finish
The light rays which are reflected upward and run vertically upward are incident on the lower surface of the mirror-finished third reflecting mirror surface σ3 at an incident angle of 45 ° and are emitted in the same direction as the optical axis of the incident light beams. In the case of this embodiment, there is an advantage that the material can be selected as long as it can be mirror-finished.

FIG. 38 shows an optical path changer 30 in which a plurality of optical elements 32 are attached to a transparent disk 39 for easy handling.
A disk having a thickness of 3 mm and a diameter of 30 mm was used. The exit surface of the optical element is bonded to the disk using an adhesive having the same refractive index as the material of the optical element and the disk. Handles a disc having an appropriate size because it serves as a substrate for fixing the individual optical elements at a fixed position, and the integrated optical path converter 30 is located at a predetermined position on the disc. Can be controlled to a desired position.

FIG. 39 is a view showing an optical path converter 30 joined to a collimating columnar lens 40 in place of the disk shown in FIG. The cross section of the collimating lens has a flat entrance surface and a circular exit surface. It is preferable to increase the focal length by increasing the lens thickness. A plurality of optical elements are arranged in parallel and joined on the plane of the lens with an adhesive having an appropriate refractive index to form an optical path converter 30. With the collimator and the optical path converter configured as described above, there is an effect that components of the entire semiconductor laser device are omitted and the number of assembling steps is reduced.

The optical element may be an optical path changer that is a one-dimensional gradient index lens.

FIG. 40 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the one-dimensional distributed index lens, and FIG. 41 is a perspective view of an optical element using the one-dimensional distributed index lens.

First, the principle of optical path conversion of the optical path converter of this embodiment will be described. FIG.
A one-dimensional distributed index lens element 3 having an optical axis length L of a pitch (the pitch represents a rotation period of a light beam in the lens) 3
2 shows a sectional view. The one-dimensional distributed refractive index lens element 32 is made of a flat optical glass body, and the one-dimensional distribution of the refractive index in the width direction has the highest refractive index n0 at the central portion indicated by the thick two-dot chain line. As shown, the refractive index gradually decreases toward the end face in the width direction.
For example, the maximum refractive index value n0 is about 1.6, and the difference in refractive index from both end faces is about 0.05. At this time, the lens length L giving 0.5 pitch is about 10 mm. The lens length L for providing 0.5 pitch is
It can be set appropriately according to the correlation with the refractive index distribution characteristics.

Here, the rays a, b, d, and e incident from the upper incidence surface in FIG. 40 draw a curve corresponding to the difference in the refractive index of the portion through which the rays a, b, d, and e travel through the lens, and a ′・
The light exits from the lower exit surface as b'.c'.e '.
The light ray c incident on the center travels straight along the center plane in the lens and exits as c '.

A conventional distributed refractive index lens is generally formed of a cylindrical optical glass body having a refractive index distribution highest on the central axis and decreasing toward the periphery in the radial direction. It is. This dips the glass into the molten salt,
In this method, monovalent ions such as silver ions (Ag ⁺ ) previously doped into glass are exchanged for alkali ions, and a refractive index distribution is formed using an ion diffusion distribution. In addition, a lens having a refractive index change in the optical axis direction for correcting spherical aberration of a lens is also known. When a flat glass as in this embodiment is used instead of the columnar glass, the ion diffusion time can be appropriately set to provide a refractive index distribution such that the refractive index distribution is high at the center surface and low at the end surface.

Such a one-dimensional distributed index lens element 3
41, the plane parallel to the optical axis of the incident light is arranged at an angle of 45 ° to the horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 41, and the light from the linear light source which is flat in the horizontal direction is When the light is incident on the incident surface 34, when the line segment at the incident surface 34 is represented by P1Q1, each ray between P1Q1 draws a separate curve and travels through the lens. Then, the line segment P2Q2 at the position of 0.25 pitch, which is the middle point of the optical path in the lens, is inclined by 45 ° as compared with the time of incidence and lies along the position of n0 where the refractive index is the highest, that is, along the center plane. The light exits from the rear exit surface 36 at an angle of 45 °, and exits as a vertical line segment P3Q3. That is, the flat direction of the planar light beam is rotated by 90 ° in the lens.

FIG. 42 is a drawing showing an optical path converter in which optical elements of a one-dimensional distributed index lens are arranged in parallel. The optical path converter of the present invention rotates the striped lights serially arranged in a dashed line at the time of emission from the light source by 90 ° using the one-dimensional distribution refraction lens element 32, as if they were parallel in a ladder shape. It is supposed to be converted. That is, FIG.
42, a plurality of one-dimensional distributed refractive index lens elements 32 shown in FIG. 42 are arranged in an array in a one-to-one correspondence with each stripe light, as shown in FIG. A plurality of striped light beams, each of which is flattened in a dashed shape and is serially emitted, enter the corresponding one-dimensional gradient index lens element 32. The outgoing light has its flattened direction rotated by 90 ° as compared with the incident light, and the arrangement of the striped light becomes a ladder shape.

In this way, a large number of striped lights Li serially arranged in a dashed line on a straight line are converted into apparently ladder-shaped striped lights Lo by the optical path converter 30.

In the above configuration, one one-dimensional refractive index lens element 32 corresponds to one stripe light. Therefore, for an array of a large number of active layers having a small width, an extremely small one-dimensional gradient index lens element must be prepared. However, in practice, one one-dimensional distributed index lens element may correspond to a plurality of stripe lights. In this case, a number of stripes are divided into the same width as the arrangement pitch of the adjacent one-dimensional distributed refractive index lens elements, and each of the divided elements is rotated by 90 °. The laser beam can be narrowed down to the same degree as the arrangement pitch of the lens elements.

FIG. 43 is a perspective view of an optical element using another one-dimensional distributed index lens.

The optical element 32 is made of a flat optical glass body, and the one-dimensional refractive index distribution in the width direction monotonically decreases. When a flat laser beam is incident on the surface of the optical element at an appropriate angle, the beam is refracted to the higher refractive index with the distribution of the refractive index, is totally reflected at the end face, and is symmetrically refracted. The light exits from the exit surface at an angle. By appropriately selecting the refractive index distribution and the length of the optical element, it is possible to make the oblique direction rotate by 90 ° and emit when the light beam is incident with the oblique direction inclined at 45 °. By arranging the optical elements thus designed in parallel at an angle of 45 °, the optical path converter of the present invention can be obtained. Since the refractive index of the optical element changes monotonously from one end face of the flat plate, it has an advantage that it is easy to provide a predetermined refractive index distribution and the manufacturing is simple.

FIG. 44 is a view showing an optical path converter in which a semi-cylindrical portion whose refractive index is gradually reduced is formed concentrically at corresponding positions on both surfaces of an optical glass plate. Such a semi-cylindrical refractive index distribution is formed, for example, by forming a plurality of oblique lines having 45 ° inclinations on the entrance surface and the exit surface of an optical glass having a predetermined thickness doped with monovalent ions such as silver ions in advance. By immersing in a molten salt with a mask having the above, and exchanging the monovalent ions with alkali ions. A flat light beam that is horizontally incident on the incident surface receives a different refracting power depending on the incident position at a semi-cylindrical portion inclined at 45 °, the flat axis turns, and becomes parallel to the semi-cylindrical axis at the center of the optical path converter. The light beam reaches the semi-cylindrical portion of the exit surface, where the flat axis further turns, and exits from the exit surface in a state where the direction of the flat axis is different from that at the time of incidence by approximately 90 °. In this way, the stripe light from the linear array laser diode changes substantially like a ladder.

The optical path changing device shown in FIG. 44 has an advantage that it is not necessary to integrate a plurality of individually manufactured optical elements and to join them, and it can be easily manufactured by performing an ion diffusion process on a flat glass.

FIG. 45 is a view showing an optical path converter in which cylindrical lenses are arranged in parallel. This optical path changer
This is an arc-shaped cylindrical lens whose cross section is surrounded by a straight line and an arc, and which are arranged side by side with the axis inclined at 45 ° and opposed to each other with a space having an appropriate distance therebetween. A flat light beam that is horizontally incident on the incident surface receives a different refracting power depending on the incident position by a 45 ° inclined cylindrical lens, and the flat axis turns, and furthermore, the total flat axis is almost 45 ° inclined cylindrical lens from the exit surface. The light exits from the exit surface by turning 90 °. By using the present optical path converter, the stripe light from the linear array laser diode changes substantially like a ladder.

FIG. 46 is a view showing an optical path converter in which another cylindrical lens is arranged in parallel. In this optical path changing device, a cylindrical lens having a cross section surrounded by two arcs and having an axis inclined at 45 ° and arranged in parallel is arranged to face each other with a space therebetween. Compared with the cylindrical lens of FIG. 45, the degree of freedom in design is greater, so that an accurate optical path converter can be created more easily. Depending on the refractive index and curvature of the lens, the distance between the entrance surface and the exit surface, the cross section of the present cylindrical lens may be a perfect circle, and if the cross section is a circle, an optical path converter can be easily formed. There are advantages that can be done.

FIG. 47 shows an optical path changer in which a plurality of optical glass optical elements whose entrance surface and exit surface have a cylindrical surface and whose side surfaces are parallel and whose inside is dense are joined. The optical element is inclined by 45 ° with respect to the horizontal plane. The flat light incident horizontally on the incident surface receives the different refraction power generated on the cylindrical surface of the exit surface inclined at 45 °, the flat axis turns, and the flat axes are further summed on the cylindrical surface of the exit surface inclined at 45 °. The light exits from the exit surface by turning substantially 90 °. In this way, the stripe light from the linear array laser diode changes substantially like a ladder. When matching with the interval of the stripe light, the side surface does not need to be a parallel surface, and it is also possible to use a cylinder lens whose cross section is a perfect circle.

FIG. 48 shows an optical path changing device made from a block of optical glass. This optical path converter has a plurality of cylindrical surfaces inclined at 45 ° in the same direction on the entrance surface and the exit surface of an optical glass prism having a rectangular cross section, and has the same function as the optical path converter of FIG. It is.

The optical path converter may use an optical element utilizing diffraction.

FIGS. 49A and 49B are views showing an optical element using binary optics. The optical element has a large number of grooves whose depth changes symmetrically with respect to a central axis in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the transparent plate. The depth of the groove changes so as to increase the diffraction angle from the center to the outside using diffraction. Such binary optics is made of optical glass or plastic, and can be manufactured using a mold.

FIGS. 50 (a) and 50 (b) are views showing an optical element using a laminar type Fresnel zone plate. The optical element is provided with a large number of rectangular wave-shaped grooves having different intervals symmetrically with respect to a central axis in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the transparent plate. The groove spacing changes so as to increase the angle of diffraction with respect to the incident light ray from the center to the outside using diffraction. Such a Fresnel zone plate having a rectangular wave-shaped groove can be formed by an etching method or a replica method.

FIG. 51 is a view showing an optical element using a mask type Fresnel zone plate. The optical element is provided with a number of slits having different intervals symmetrically with respect to the central axis in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the transparent plate. As in the case of the optical element using the Fresnel zone plate shown in FIG. 50, the slit interval changes from the center to the outside so as to increase the diffraction angle with respect to the incident light. A Fresnel zone plate having such slits can be formed by forming slits using an opaque mask.

FIG. 52 is a view showing an optical path changer in which an optical element utilizing diffraction is formed on the entrance surface and the exit surface, and these are opposed to each other with a space therebetween as in FIG. . In this optical path converter, an optical element whose axis is inclined by 45 ° with respect to the horizontal is provided in parallel for each active layer stripe of a linear array laser diode. When a flat light beam is incident in the horizontal direction, the diffraction angle increases as the distance from the center line of the optical element increases, so that when the light beam passes through the incident surface plate, the flat axis turns in the direction approaching the center axis and exits After arriving at the face plate, the light is further turned by the same amount in the same direction on the incident surface by the law of light regression, and finally, the light is emitted by turning the flat axis about 90 °. This is exactly the same as the function of FIG.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 53 is a block diagram illustrating a semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device according to the present invention. The semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device uses the semiconductor laser device of the first embodiment as an excitation light source of the solid-state laser 80. In a conventional semiconductor laser device using a linear array laser diode, even if energy is concentrated in an optical system, the energy is limited to a horizontally long region and the substantial energy density is not large. Further, in order to effectively use this energy, only the side excitation of the solid-state laser could be performed. In the semiconductor laser-pumped solid-state laser device of the present embodiment, the optical path converter 30 is converged in a direction perpendicular to the stripe light emitting stripe of the linear array laser diode 10 by the first columnar lens 20 having a short focal length f1. To a ladder-like laser beam and then to a long focal length f3
Is focused in the width direction of the ladder-shaped laser beam by the second columnar lens 40 having
The energy is converged on a small area on the zero light receiving surface.
As described above, the semiconductor laser device of the first embodiment
Energy can be concentrated in a predetermined narrow range using different convergence forces in 2 / f1 and in the width direction f2 / f3. For this reason, the semiconductor laser pumped solid-state laser device of the present application using the semiconductor laser device of the first embodiment can effectively utilize the output of the linear array laser diode 10 and also can excite the end face of the solid-state laser 80. As the solid-state laser element, a solid-state laser element including a Q switch and a wavelength conversion element can be used in addition to a normal solid-state laser element such as YAG and YLF. Further, the excitation light source may be incident on the solid-state laser element at a Brewster angle. The solid-state laser element may be a short absorption length laser crystal (YVO ₄ ). The semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device of the present invention uses a 10 W semiconductor laser element to produce a 3 W YAG.
Laser output could be obtained.

FIG. 54 is a block diagram for explaining an optical fiber light guide semiconductor laser-pumped solid-state laser device according to the present invention. In the optical fiber light guide semiconductor laser pumped solid-state laser device, the output of the semiconductor laser device of the first embodiment is guided by the optical fiber 60 to be used as an excitation light source of the solid-state laser 80. An optical system 70 for collimating and reconverging the energy of the laser beam radiated from the end portion is provided at the output portion of the optical fiber. As described above, since the flexible optical fiber is interposed between the semiconductor laser device portion and the solid-state laser device portion, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom of the device is dramatically increased and the configuration is simplified. With the optical fiber light-guiding semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device of the present invention, a 2 W YAG laser output could be obtained using a 10 W semiconductor laser element.

FIG. 55 is a block diagram illustrating a semiconductor laser pumped solid-state laser device whose output is doubled by using two linear array semiconductor laser elements. The device includes a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) 90 between the second columnar lenses 40 and 40 ′ and the focusing lens 50. The polarization beam splitter 90 is a high reflection film for one of the linearly polarized light beams whose polarization directions are orthogonal to each other, and a low reflection film for the other. The output light beams of the two linear array semiconductor laser devices 10, 10 'are made orthogonal to each other, and the polarizing beam splitter PBS9 is positioned at the orthogonal position.
0 is arranged, one output goes straight through the PBS 90, and the other output is reflected and combined by the reflection surface of the PBS 90, enters the focusing lens 50, and is focused on the excitation surface of the solid-state laser 80. Since the polarization directions of the two laser beams are orthogonal to each other in the polarization beam splitter, the semiconductor laser devices are installed in directions orthogonal to each other. With this configuration,
The output of two semiconductor laser elements can be used,
The output of the laser device doubles.

FIG. 56 is a diagram showing another solid-state laser device excited by an output power doubling type semiconductor laser. In the semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device shown in FIG. 55, the semiconductor laser device itself is installed orthogonally to make the polarization directions orthogonal, but in this embodiment, instead, a half-wave phase plate ( (λ / 2 plate) 95 is interposed. In the figure, a linearly polarized light beam from the semiconductor laser device on the left side of the polarization beam splitter 90 causes the polarization beam splitter to almost 100%.
To Penetrate. On the other hand, the linearly polarized light beam from the semiconductor laser device drawn on the polarizing beam splitter 90 is a λ / 2 plate 95.
, And the polarization direction is rotated by 90 °, so that nearly 100% of the light is reflected by the polarizing film of the polarizing beam splitter. In this way, the light beams from the two semiconductor laser devices are combined by the polarization beam splitter, and are aimed at the excitation surface of the solid-state laser device 80 to excite the solid-state laser element. According to such a structure, the size of the device in the width direction is reduced.

[0124]

As described above, since the laser energy generated by the linear array laser diode can be converged on an extremely small area in the semiconductor laser device of the present invention, it can be sufficiently used for laser processing and medical use. Can be. Further, the semiconductor laser device which has the effect of arranging the emitters of the linear array semiconductor laser in a substantially ladder shape using the optical path converter of the present invention can concentrate the energy of the linear array semiconductor laser at an extremely small focal point. Will be possible. Further, the semiconductor laser-pumped solid-state laser device of the present invention can perform end-face pumping utilizing a powerful semiconductor laser, and can obtain a solid-state laser output with high efficiency and good beam quality.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the directivity of a laser beam of a linear array laser diode.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional semiconductor laser device.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the semiconductor laser device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a semiconductor laser device of the present invention using QCWLD or the like.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a semiconductor laser device according to the present invention using an optical fiber.

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an optical path converter of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating functions of an optical element as a component of the optical path converter.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the principle in the case where optical path conversion is performed using a combination of two reflection surfaces.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating conditions for reflection on a reflection surface.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an optical element having a triangular pyramid shape.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an optical path converter of the present invention in which the optical elements of FIG. 12 are arranged in parallel.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another optical path converter of the present invention in which a right-angle prism is further added to the optical path converter of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an optical element having a truncated triangular shape.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an optical path converter of the present invention in which the optical elements of FIG. 15 are arranged in parallel.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another optical path converter of the present invention in which a right-angle prism is further added to the optical path converter of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing an optical element formed of an oblique prism having three reflecting surfaces.

FIG. 19 illustrates the principle of an oblique prism.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an optical converter obtained by arranging the optical elements of FIG. 18 in parallel.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing another optical element including an oblique prism having three reflecting surfaces.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an optical path converter obtained by arranging the optical elements of FIG. 21 in parallel.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of an integrated optical path converter equivalent to the optical path converter of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing the optical path converter of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a view for explaining the trajectory of light rays in the optical path converter of FIG. 23;

FIG. 26 is a view for explaining the operation of the optical path converter of FIG. 23;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing an optical element composed of a compound prism in which triangular pyramid prisms are axially symmetrically combined.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of an optical path converter obtained by arranging the composite prisms of FIG. 27 in parallel.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view showing an optical element including a Dove prism.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of an optical path converter obtained by arranging Dove prisms in parallel.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view showing an optical element using a reflecting mirror and corresponding to FIG. 12;

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of an optical path converter obtained by arranging the optical elements of FIG. 31 in parallel.

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of another optical path changer obtained by arranging optical elements corresponding to FIG. 12 using a reflecting mirror in parallel.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of an optical path converter in which a notch in the optical path converter of FIG. 33 is deepened.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of an integrated optical path converter equivalent to the optical path converter of FIG. 34;

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of an optical path converter formed by joining a right-angle prism to the optical path converter of FIG. 35;

FIG. 37 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an optical path converter in which a third reflecting mirror surface is further formed on the upper surface of the optical path converter of FIG. 35;

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of an optical path converter in which a plurality of optical elements are mounted on a transparent disk.

FIG. 39 is a diagram showing an optical path converter joined to a columnar lens for collimation.

FIG. 40 is a view for explaining the operation of the one-dimensional distributed index lens;

FIG. 41 is a perspective view of an optical element using a one-dimensional gradient index lens.

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of an optical path converter in which the optical elements of FIG. 41 are arranged in parallel.

FIG. 43 is a perspective view of an optical element using another one-dimensional gradient index lens.

FIG. 44 is a perspective view of an optical path converter in which a semi-cylindrical portion having a concentric refractive index distribution is formed on both sides of an optical glass plate.

FIG. 45 is a perspective view of an optical path converter in which cylindrical lenses are arranged in parallel.

FIG. 46 is a perspective view of an optical path converter in which another cylindrical lens is arranged in parallel.

FIG. 47 is a perspective view of an optical path converter in which optical elements each having an incident surface and an exit surface having a cylindrical surface are arranged in parallel.

FIG. 48 is a perspective view of an optical path changing device formed from optical glass blocks.

FIGS. 49 (a) and 49 (b) are explanatory diagrams of an optical element using binary optics.

FIGS. 50A and 50B are explanatory views of an optical element using a laminar type Fresnel zone plate.

FIG. 51 is an explanatory diagram of an optical element using a mask type Fresnel zone plate.

FIG. 52 is an explanatory diagram of an optical path converter using diffraction.

FIG. 53 is a block diagram illustrating a semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device according to the present invention.

FIG. 54 is a block diagram illustrating an optical fiber light-guiding semiconductor laser-excited solid-state laser device according to the present invention.

FIG. 55 is a block diagram of a semiconductor laser pumped solid-state laser device using two linear array semiconductor laser elements.

FIG. 56 is a block diagram of another semiconductor laser pumped solid-state laser device using two linear array semiconductor laser elements.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 multi-stripe array semiconductor laser 12 active layer stripe 20 first columnar lens 30 optical path converter 32 optical element 33 right-angle prism 34 light receiving surface 36 output surface 37, 38 laser beam 39 surface parallel to third reflection surface σ3 40 2 columnar lens 50 focusing lens 60 optical fiber 70 optical system 80 solid-state laser 90 polarization beam splitter 95 1/2 wavelength phase plate 300 plate material

Continued on front page (31) Priority claim number Japanese Patent Application No. 5-197926 (32) Priority date July 14, 1993 (1993. 7.14) (33) Priority claim country Japan (JP) (31) Priority claim number Japanese Patent Application No. 5-201116 (32) Priority date July 20, 1993 (1993.7.20) (33) Priority claim country Japan (JP) (72) Inventor Tetsuro Kobayashi Chiyoda, Tokyo (72) Inventor Yoshimasa Saito 2-6-3 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Nippon Steel Corporation (56) References 5-297253 (JP, A) JP-A-5-40215 (JP, A) JP-A-4-255280 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 27/09 G02B 5/04 H01S 3/0941 H01S 5/00-5/50

Claims (56)

(57) [Claims] 1. A linear array laser diode which is provided with a plurality of emitters long in a first direction for emitting a laser beam and arranged linearly in the first direction, and emits a group of dotted laser beams. , Disposed in front of the linear array laser diode,
A first condenser that refracts the laser beam group in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and collimates the laser beam; and a first condenser that is disposed on a front surface of the first condenser, and An optical path converter for receiving a group of laser beams collimated in two directions, converting the group of laser beams into a group of substantially ladder-shaped laser beams extending in the first direction, and radiating the group; and an axis of a cross section of at least one laser beam. Are provided in parallel with each other, and a group of laser beams collimated in the second direction is received, and the axis of the cross section of the laser beam is turned for each of the optical elements, so that the first direction is formed. An optical path changer that emits as a group of substantially ladder-shaped laser beams extending to the second direction; and a second condenser that collimates and substantially collimates the group of substantially ladder-shaped laser beams in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. And the second collector And a third condenser for converging a group of laser beams emitted from the laser beam to a focal point. 2. The semiconductor laser device according to claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber having the focal plane. 3. The semiconductor laser device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first light collector and the second light collector is a cylindrical lens. 4. A light-receiving unit for receiving an incident light beam having a first axis whose cross section perpendicular to the optical axis has a first axis; an optical system for turning the first axis of the light beam cross section at substantially a right angle; and the optical system. A plurality of optical elements each including an emission unit that emits an emitted light beam that has passed through the light receiving unit and the emission unit of each optical element so that the optical elements correspond to the emission surface of the linear array laser diode. An optical path converter characterized by being linearly arranged adjacent to the upper side. 5. The optical path converter according to claim 4, wherein the optical elements are arranged at the same interval as the emitters of the linear array laser diode. 6. The optical path converter according to claim 4, wherein said optical element is made to correspond to a plurality of emitters of a linear array laser diode. 7. The optical element, wherein the optical element reflects a first reflection surface on which the incident light beam having the first axis received by the light receiving unit is incident, and reflects the incident light beam incident from the first reflection surface. The optical path converter according to claim 4, further comprising: a second reflection surface that emits an emitted light beam obtained by turning the first axis substantially at right angles. 8. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the unit direction vector representing the optical axis of the incident light beam is A, the unit direction vector representing the direction of the first axis in the incident light beam is Ap, and the optical axis of the emitted light beam is C represents a unit direction vector representing the direction of the rotated first axis in the outgoing ray, Cp represents an angle formed by A and C, and represents a normal line of the first reflection surface. Assuming that a unit direction vector is N and a unit direction vector representing a normal line of the second reflecting surface is M, (N · A) ² + (M · A) ² -2 (N · A) (M · A) (N・ M) =
(1-cos θ) / 2 (N · Ap) ² + (M · Ap) ² -2 (N · Ap) (M · Ap)
Characterized by having an optical axis of an incident light beam, a light receiving portion of the optical element, the first reflection surface, a second reflection surface, and an emission portion such that a relationship of (N · M) = 1/2 is satisfied. The optical path converter according to claim 7, wherein 9. In the optical element, an angle θ between the optical axis of the incident light beam and the optical axis of the output light beam is substantially 90 °, and the normal of the first reflecting surface is the light of the incident light beam. The plane defined by the direction of the axis and the direction of the first axis, the angle between the normal and the incident light is an acute angle, and the second reflecting surface is parallel to the incident light. The optical path changer according to claim 7, wherein the normal line has an inclination of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the first axis of the incident light. 10. The optical path converter according to claim 9, wherein the acute angle is 45 °. 11. The optical path converter according to claim 9, wherein the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface intersect at 60 °. 12. An incident light beam from the second reflection surface is incident, the optical axis of the light beam is deflected to a substantially right angle, and the direction of the optical axis of the outgoing light beam emitted from the optical path converter is set to the optical axis of the incident light beam. The optical path converter according to claim 7, further comprising a third reflecting surface that is substantially parallel. 13. A portion where the two planes intersect in a solid body having first and second planes orthogonal to each other,
Perpendicular to the first plane and 45 ° with the second plane
And a pair of two reflecting surfaces, which are orthogonal to the second plane and intersect with the first plane at an included angle of 45 °. 8. The optical path converter according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of rows are arranged adjacent to each other. 14. The optical path converter according to claim 13, wherein a right-angle prism is arranged to face the first plane. 15. The optical element is disposed as an optical system such that the first axis of a cross section of the light beam is turned substantially at right angles to an incident surface as a light receiving portion, an emitting surface as an emitting portion, and an optical system. The optical path converter according to claim 7, wherein the prism is a transparent body having a plurality of internal reflection surfaces. 16. The first reflecting surface is vertical and is inclined at approximately 45 ° with respect to the incident surface, and the second reflecting surface is perpendicular to the incident surface and approximately 45 ° with respect to the horizontal plane. The optical path converter according to claim 15, wherein: 17. The optical element according to claim 16, wherein a perpendicular drawn on a plane including the right-angled isosceles triangle and a plane including the right-angled isosceles triangle passes through a vertex at an acute angle of the isosceles triangle, and the length of the perpendicular is equal to that of the isosceles triangle. The optical path converter according to claim 16, wherein the prism is a triangular pyramid having a shape of a triangular pyramid having a vertex equal to the length of an equal side. 18. The optical element according to claim 17, wherein the optical element has a shape such that an incident surface of the right-angle prism is in contact with a surface formed of a right-angled isosceles triangle not facing the semiconductor laser stripe of the triangular pyramid prism. An optical path converter as described. 19. The optical element according to claim 16, wherein a perpendicular line dropped to a plane including the right-angled isosceles triangle and a plane including the right-angled isosceles triangle passes through a vertex at an acute angle of the isosceles triangle, and the length of the perpendicular is equal to that of the isosceles triangle. A triangular pyramid consisting of vertices equal to the length of an equilateral length has a bottom surface that is a right triangle with none of the three sides being equal, and a cross section obtained by cutting the triangular pyramid with a plane parallel to the right triangle. A triangular truncated pyramid prism having an upper base shape, wherein the optical elements are arranged in an array in such a manner that a surface formed of an isosceles trapezoid that is symmetrical to the left and right faces each stripe of the linear array semiconductor laser. The optical path converter according to claim 16, wherein: 20. The optical element, wherein a right-angle prism is arranged so that an incident surface is in contact with a trapezoidal surface of the triangular truncated pyramid prism that does not face the semiconductor laser stripe and has a vertical angle at a vertical angle. Item 20. An optical path converter according to item 19. 21. An optical element comprising: an incident surface serving as a light receiving unit; an exit surface parallel to the incident surface serving as an exit unit; And is inclined approximately 45 ° with respect to the incident surface so as to be reflected substantially at a right angle, and the second
The reflecting surface of the third reflecting surface is perpendicular to the incident surface so as to reflect the light beam reflected by the first reflecting surface almost vertically, and is inclined by approximately 45 ° with respect to a horizontal plane.
An oblique prism made of a transparent body whose reflection surface intersects horizontally with the incident surface and reflects the light reflected by the second reflection surface almost vertically, and is inclined at approximately 45 ° with respect to a horizontal plane. 2. A prism according to claim 1, wherein the prism is a prism.
3. The optical path converter according to 2. 22. The optical element according to claim 19, wherein the optical element is between the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface, between the second reflecting surface and the third reflecting surface, and the third reflecting surface. 22. The optical path converter according to claim 21, wherein each of the first and second reflection surfaces has a crossing angle of 60 [deg.]. 23. The optical element is an oblique prism formed by translating a line segment of a predetermined length extending on a diagonal line passing from a vertex of the cube and passing through the center of the cube, and moving one side of the cube. Moves on a diagonal line of a square in one plane of the cube, then moves on the side by a predetermined length, moves parallel to the diagonal line that passed first, and finally moves on the side and departs 23. The optical path converter according to claim 22, having an oblique prism shape formed by returning to a point. 24. The optical element is an oblique prism formed by translating a trapezoid surrounded by two adjacent sides of a square, which is one surface of a cube, and a straight line parallel to one side of the square and a diagonal line of the square. 23. The optical path changing device according to claim 22, wherein the trapezoidal acute-angled vertex has a shape of an oblique prism formed by moving a diagonal line passing through the center of the cube by a predetermined length. 25. A first and second planes parallel to each other, a third plane intersecting the first plane at an included angle of 135 °, and tan ⁻¹ (1/1) with respect to the first plane. √
The ridges and valleys extend in the direction intersecting at an angle of 2). The ridges and valleys having a bending angle of 60 ° are formed of a periodically bent surface continuously formed in a washing plate shape, and each ridge and each ridge are formed. A valley line having a fourth surface parallel to the third plane, the first plane being an incident surface, the second plane being an exit surface, and a curved surface constituting the fourth surface; Of the above, a surface that intersects the first plane at an included angle of 45 ° is a first reflection surface, another surface is a second reflection surface, and the third plane is a third reflection surface.
23. The optical path converter according to claim 22, wherein the reflection surface is a reflecting surface. 26. A periodically bent surface made of a light-transmitting material and having a triangular waveform cross section having a bend angle of 60 ° and a plane parallel to each ridge line and each valley line of the periodically bent surface. A first cut surface having an inclination of 45 ° with respect to the plane and intersecting the ridge line at tan ⁻¹ (1 / √2), and a second cut parallel to the first cut surface A method for manufacturing an optical path converter, characterized by cutting out a surface. 27. The preparation of the plate material includes: a periodically bent surface having a washing plate shape having a triangular waveform cross section having a bend angle of 60 °; and a plane parallel to each ridge line and each valley line of the periodically bent surface. The solid body having the solid surface is cut out from a plate material having a thickness corresponding to the distance between the first and second planes, and the bent surface and the plane surface are mirror-finished. Item 29. The method for manufacturing an optical path converter according to Item 26. 28. The optical path converter according to claim 15, wherein the prism is a Dove prism having a trapezoidal cross section. 29. A triangle whose vertex is a point at which the length of a perpendicular line formed at an acute vertex of a right-angled isosceles triangle and a plane including the triangle is equal to the length of the isosceles of the right-angled isosceles triangle. The optical path conversion according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of triangular pyramid prisms each having a shape of a weight are laminated in an axially symmetric manner, and the incident light beam is processed by an optical path converter and emitted upward and downward. vessel. 30. The optical path conversion according to claim 29, wherein the optical element further has a transparent prism having a right-angled triangular cross section on the exit surface of the optical element on the exit surface of the triangular pyramid prism. vessel. 31. The optical element is a space defined by a reflective surface and is vertical and approximately 45
8. The optical path according to claim 7, wherein the space provides the first reflection surface inclined at an angle of 45 degrees and the second reflection surface parallel to an incident light ray and inclined at approximately 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane. converter. 32. The optical element is a space defined by a reflective surface, which is vertical and approximately 45
The first reflecting surface inclined at an angle of 45 °, the second reflecting surface parallel to the incident light ray and inclined at approximately 45 ° with respect to the horizontal plane, and the line of intersection between the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface. 2. A space which provides a third reflecting surface which is parallel to the second reflecting surface.
3. The optical path converter according to 2. 33. The optical element has a vertex of a right-angled isosceles triangle and a perpendicular line formed on a vertex at an acute angle of the right-angled isosceles triangle on a plane including the right-angled isosceles triangle. The optical path converter according to claim 7, wherein a shape of a triangular pyramid having a vertex at a point equal to the length of an equilateral side is cut from a cube. 34. The optical element, wherein one diagonal is 45
In a prism having a parallelogram as an upper base and a lower base, a portion including an apex having an acute angle of the upper base is inclined at 45 ° with respect to a horizontal plane, and is parallel to a normal of the front side surface. The optical path changer according to claim 7, wherein the optical path converter has a shape cut off on a flat surface. 35. A vertical plane which intersects the front surface at 45 ° on a ridge formed by the upper surface and the front surface of a prism having an upper surface and a front surface orthogonal to the upper surface at an interval corresponding to an emitter of a linear array semiconductor laser. 8. The optical path changing device according to claim 7, wherein notches formed by a surface perpendicular to the front surface and intersecting the upper surface at 45 ° are formed in parallel, and mirror-finished. 36. A vertical plane which intersects the front surface at 45 ° on a ridge formed by the upper surface and the front surface of a prism having an upper surface and a front surface orthogonal to the upper surface at an interval corresponding to an emitter of a linear array semiconductor laser. 13. The optical path converter according to claim 12, wherein cutouts formed by a plane perpendicular to the front surface and a plane crossing the upper surface at 45 ° are formed in parallel, and a right-angle prism is bonded to the upper surface. . 37. A first flat surface formed on a flat plate having a predetermined thickness at an interval corresponding to the emitter of the linear array semiconductor laser and intersecting the front surface at 45 °, and at the same interval as the interval. A second surface perpendicular to the front surface and intersecting at 45 ° with the horizontal plane; a third surface parallel to a ridge line formed by intersecting the first surface and the second surface; A notch formed by a fourth surface connecting the second surface and the third surface, and a fifth surface connecting the second surface and the third surface at the end, and the notch surface is formed. 13. The optical path converter according to claim 12, wherein a mirror finish is applied to the optical path converter. 38. The optical element is a one-dimensional gradient index lens element made of optical glass having the highest refractive index at the center plane and having a lower refractive index as approaching the side surface, wherein the center plane is positioned with respect to a horizontal plane. 5. The optical path changer according to claim 4, wherein the one-dimensional gradient index lens element is inclined at approximately 45 [deg.]. 39. A one-dimensional distributed refractive index lens element made of optical glass, wherein the optical element has two side surfaces parallel to each other and one side has the highest refractive index and the refractive index decreases as approaching the other side. The optical path converter according to claim 4, wherein the side surface is a one-dimensional gradient index lens element inclined at approximately 45 ° with respect to a horizontal plane. 40. A pair of semi-cylindrical distributed refractive index lens elements inclined at an angle of about 45 ° on both sides of an optical glass plate, the center of the semicircle having the highest refractive index, and the refractive index increases toward the outside. 5. The optical path converter according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of lens elements having a low efficiency are linearly arranged adjacent to each other so as to correspond to the radiation surface of the linear array laser diode. 41. The optical path according to claim 4, wherein the optical element comprises a pair of convex cylindrical lenses whose axes are inclined at approximately 45 ° and is opposed to each other with a predetermined space therebetween. converter. 42. The optical element is a cylindrical lens having convex lens portions at both ends of a side surface, and a plurality of the optical elements are joined at an angle of approximately 45 ° with respect to an incident light beam. The optical path converter according to claim 4. 43. A plurality of columnar surfaces inclined at approximately 45 ° in the same direction are formed on the entrance surface and the exit surface of an optical glass prism having a rectangular cross section, and the cross section of the incident light beam incident on each columnar surface is formed. 5. The optical path converter according to claim 4, wherein the light is emitted while being rotated by substantially 90 degrees. 43. A cross section of an incident light beam incident on each cylindrical surface by forming a plurality of cylindrical surfaces inclined at approximately 45 ° in the same direction on the entrance surface and the exit surface of an optical glass prism having a rectangular cross section. 5. The optical path changer according to claim 4, wherein the light is turned by approximately 90 [deg.] And emitted. 44. The optical element, wherein two optical elements whose powers change only in a direction perpendicular to the central axis due to diffraction are opposed to each other, and the central axis is inclined at approximately 45 °. The optical path converter according to claim 4, wherein 45. The optical element includes a plurality of grooves along the central axis, each of which has a depth changed so that the power changes in a direction perpendicular to the central axis with respect to the central axis inclined at approximately 45 °. 45. The optical path converter according to claim 44, comprising a set of binary optics elements provided. 46. The optical device according to claim 46, wherein:
A set of convex linear Fresnel lenses having the same cross-sectional shape and configured so that power changes only in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the pair of linear Fresnel lenses has a central axis inclined by approximately 45 °. 45. The optical path converter according to claim 44. 47. The optical path converter according to claim 46, wherein the Fresnel lens is a laminar type Fresnel zone plate. 48. The optical path converter according to claim 46, wherein said Fresnel lens is a mask type Fresnel zone plate. 49. A plurality of light emitting surfaces each having an incident surface, and an exit surface parallel to the incident surface having a predetermined distance from the incident surface, wherein the incident surface is inclined at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the horizontal to the surface. An optical element is provided in parallel corresponding to each active layer stripe of the linear array laser diode, and a plurality of optical elements whose output surface is symmetrical to the optical element of the incident surface on the surface are provided for each of the optical elements of the incident surface. 45. The optical path converter according to claim 44, wherein the optical path converters are provided correspondingly in parallel. 50. The optical path converter according to claim 4, further comprising a transparent flat substrate, wherein the linearly arranged optical elements are fixed on the flat substrate. 51. An incident surface for receiving an incident light beam having a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis and having a first axis, an optical system for turning the first axis of the cross section substantially at right angles, and the optical system. A plurality of optical elements having an emission surface for emitting an outgoing light beam that has passed through the system, and a columnar lens having a plane incidence surface and a convex emission surface, wherein the emission surface of the optical element is formed in a columnar shape. A composite of a light condensing device and an optical path changing device, which is arranged adjacent to the incident surface of a lens and linearly arranged and fixed so as to correspond to a radiation surface of a linear array laser diode. 52. An incident surface for receiving an incident light beam having a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis and having a first axis, an optical system for turning the first axis of the cross section substantially at right angles, and the optical system. A plurality of optical elements having an exit surface for emitting an exit light beam passing through the system, and a columnar lens having a convex entrance surface and a flat exit surface; A composite of a light condensing device and an optical path changing device, which is arranged adjacent to the light emitting surface of a lens and linearly arranged and fixed so as to correspond to a radiation surface of a linear array laser diode. 53. A linear array laser diode, wherein a plurality of emitters long in a first direction for emitting a laser beam are provided so as to be linearly arranged in the first direction, and emit a group of dotted laser beams; Disposed in front of the linear array laser diode,
A first condenser for refracting and collimating the laser beam group in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a second condenser disposed in front of the first condenser, An optical path converter that receives the group of laser beams collimated in the direction, converts the group of laser beams into a group of substantially ladder-like laser beams extending in the first direction, and radiates the group. A plurality of optical elements that are bent at substantially right angles in parallel, receive a group of laser beams collimated in the second direction, and turn the axis of the cross section of the laser beam for each of the optical elements to form the first direction An optical path changer that emits as a group of substantially ladder-shaped laser beams extending to the second direction; and a second condenser that collimates and substantially collimates the group of substantially ladder-shaped laser beams in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. And from the second concentrator A third condenser for condensing the emitted laser beam group at a focal point; and a solid-state laser device having an excitation light receiving surface, the excitation light receiving surface being aligned with the position of the focal point. Characteristic semiconductor laser pumped solid-state laser device. 54. A linear array laser diode, wherein a plurality of emitters long in a first direction for emitting a laser beam are provided so as to be linearly arranged in the first direction, and emit a group of dotted laser beams; Arranged in front of the linear array laser diode,
A first condenser that refracts and collimates the laser beam group in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a first condenser that is disposed on a front surface of the first condenser, An optical path converter for receiving a group of laser beams collimated in two directions, converting the group of laser beams into a group of substantially ladder-shaped laser beams extending in the first direction, and radiating the group; and an axis of a cross section of at least one laser beam. Are provided in parallel with each other, and receive a laser beam group collimated in the second direction, turn the axis of the cross section of the laser beam for each of the optical elements, and rotate the first An optical path converter that emits as a group of substantially ladder-like laser beams extending in a direction, and a second condenser that collimates and collimates the group of substantially ladder-like laser beams in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. And the second concentrator Laser beam group emitted from the first
A third condenser for condensing light at a focal point of the optical fiber, an optical fiber for transmitting light of a laser beam group converged at the first focal point, and a second collimator for collimating light emitted from the optical fiber.
And a solid-state laser device having an excitation light receiving surface, the excitation light receiving surface being aligned with the position of the second focal point. apparatus. 55. A first linear array laser diode which is provided with a plurality of emitters long in a first direction for emitting a laser beam and arranged linearly in the first direction, and emits a group of dotted laser beams. A first concentrator disposed in front of the first linear array laser diode and refracting and collimating the laser beam group in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; Receiving a laser beam group collimated in the second direction disposed on the front surface of the first condenser and converting it into a substantially ladder-like laser beam group extending in the first direction; A first optical path converter that emits light, and a plurality of optical elements that bend at least one laser beam in a direction substantially perpendicular to a cross-sectional axis of the laser beam, and receive a group of laser beams collimated in the second direction. The optical element A first optical path converter that turns the axis of the cross section of the laser beam for each child and emits as a group of substantially ladder-shaped laser beams extending in the first direction; A second collector for collimating and collimating in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a plurality of emitters long in a third direction for emitting a laser beam are provided so as to be linearly arranged in the third direction. A second linear array laser diode that emits a dotted group of laser beams; and a second linear array laser diode disposed on a front surface of the second linear array laser diode, the laser beam group being substantially perpendicular to the third direction. A third condenser that refracts and collimates in a fourth direction, and is disposed on a front surface of the third condenser and receives a laser beam group collimated in the fourth direction and receives the laser beam. Substance extending in a third direction A second optical path converter that converts the laser beam into a ladder-like laser beam group and radiates the plurality of optical elements, and a plurality of optical elements that bend at least one laser beam in a cross section at substantially right angles, in parallel. A second optical path conversion for receiving a group of laser beams collimated in the direction, turning the axis of the cross section of the laser beam for each of the optical elements, and emitting as a substantially ladder-like group of laser beams extending in the third direction A fourth concentrator for collimating and collimating the group of substantially ladder-shaped laser beams in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a laser beam emitted from the second concentrator. A first incident surface for receiving a group of light beams, a second incident surface for receiving a group of laser beams emitted from the fourth concentrator, and an emission surface for emitting a group of laser beams; The first polarization direction received at the first incident surface is A laser beam group that is emitted from the fourth collector having a second polarization direction orthogonal to the first polarization direction is received by the second incidence surface. A deflecting beam splitter that deflects and deflects the laser beam to the emission surface to emit both laser beam groups from the emission surface; and a fifth collector that focuses the laser beam group radiated from the deflection beam splitter at a focal point. A solid-state laser device having an excitation light receiving surface, wherein the excitation light receiving surface is aligned with the position of the focal point. 56. The apparatus according to claim 56, further comprising a half-wave plate, wherein a direction of deflection of the group of laser beams emitted from the third condenser is orthogonal to a direction of deflection of the group of laser beams. 55. A semiconductor laser-pumped solid-state laser device according to 55.