Time-multiplexing generates a diode laser beam with high beam quality

The beams of four pulsed high-power laser diodes are time-multiplexed resulting in a laser beam of high quality. A combination of polarization switches and filters forming a digital time-multiplexer is utilized to guide laser pulses produced by the individual laser diodes onto a common optical path. A resulting beam with an optical power of 10 W and a beam quality comparable with that of a single laser diode at a wavelength of 960 nm is obtained.