Laser Beam Combining Methods

There are several reasons why combining laser beams is advantageous: (1) some lasers, such as fiber lasers, have good beam quality but limited output power, (2) it allows for graceful degradation, (3) it makes the overall system more modular, and (4) it distributes the cooling load. This book summarizes and describes all the known methods for combining laser beams from low-power lasers into one high-power beam on target.