Laser light source shutter system using a variable focus optical element

A light source shutter method comprising:

• emitting a beam using a light source;
• transmitting the beam to a pinhole located on an optical path through which the beam travels by transmitting the beam irradiated from the light source using a variable focus optical element;
• and
• controlling the variable focus optical element to first have a first focal length being equal to a distance between the variable focus optical element and the pinhole and then a second focal length being different from the first focal length to block the beam.

A light source shutter system, comprising:

• a laser outputting a laser beam;
• a beam expander/collimator expanding and collimating the laser beam output from the laser;
• a first polarizing beam splitter by which the expended and collimated laser beam is turned 90 degrees;
• a first quarter wave plate through which the laser beam reflected by first polarizing beam splitter passes;
• a variable focus concave mirror by which the laser beam from the first quarter wave plate is reflected,
• a controller to control the variable focus concave mirror to have a first focal length to transmit the laser beam and a second focal length to block the laser beam;
• a pinhole located apart from the variable focus concave mirror by the first focal length;
• and
• either (i) a first component comprising a second polarizing beam splitter, a second quarter wave plate, and a concave mirror which are sequentially positioned or (ii) a second component comprising an exit lens;
• wherein the variable focus concave mirror, the first quarter wave plate, the first polarizing beam splitter, the pinhole, and either the first component or the second component are sequentially positioned.