Compact beam-shaping system for high-power semiconductor laser bars

The strong asymmetry in the emission of the fast and slow axes of semiconductor power lasers requires a significant optical beam transformation system to reach the parameters needed for micromachining, laser end-pumping and advanced applications. In this paper, a simple solution to this problem is proposed based on an array of cylindrical mirrors. Three examples of practical interest are considered, in which the compactness and effectiveness of the solution are demonstrated.