Optical device for adjusting the spatial distribution of a laser beam
AssigneeCompagnie Industrielle Des Lasers Cilas
InventorsRegis Grasser, Sandrine Cussat-Blanc
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Abstract
Optical device for adjusting the spatial distribution of a laser beam. The device (1) comprises an assembly (2) of two matrices (3, 4) of lenses (5a), said matrices (3, 4) being identical and arranged parallel to one another with a uniform spacing between them, said assembly (2) being traversable by a laser beam (6), and controllable activating means (10) capable of modifying the spacing between the two matrices (3, 4) to create a zoom effect.
Claims10
An optical device for adjusting the far field spatial distribution of a laser beam, said device comprising:
- an assembly of two matrices of lenses, said two matrices being identical and arranged parallel to one another, said assembly being traversable by the laser beam, wherein corresponding lenses of said two matrices have respective nominal spacings such that said assembly makes it possible to transform the spatial distribution of the laser beam to uniformly illuminate a shape close to a uniform rectangle in the far field and such that the near field distribution remains the same as the distribution of the laser source;
- and
- controllable activating means configured to modify spacing, relative to the respective nominal spacings, between the two matrices whilst keeping the two matrices parallel to create a zoom effect based on the respective nominal spacings,
- wherein a pattern formed by a set of the lenses is reproduced in a uniform manner in rows and column on each of said two matrices, and the same patterns of the two matrices oppose one another whilst keeping the two matrices parallel, and
- wherein the pattern comprises at least two different types of lenses having different focal distances for the controllable activating means to adjust the zoom effect.
A method for adjusting the far field spatial distribution of a laser beam, comprising the following steps:
- providing an assembly of two matrices of lenses, said two matrices being identical and arranged parallel to one another, wherein corresponding lenses of said two matrices have respective nominal spacings such that said assembly makes it possible to transform the spatial distribution of the laser beam to uniformly illuminate a shape close to a uniform rectangle in the far field and such that the near field distribution remains the same as the distribution of the laser source, said assembly being traversable by the laser beam;
- and
- modifying spacing, relative to the respective nominal spacings, between the two matrices whilst keeping the two matrices parallel to create a zoom effect based on the respective nominal spacings by means of said assembly of two matrices,
- wherein a pattern formed by a set of the lenses is reproduced in a uniform manner in rows and column on each of said two matrices, and the same patterns of the two matrices opposes one another whilst keeping the two matrices parallel, and
- wherein the pattern comprises at least two different types of lenses having different focal distances for the controllable activating means to adjust the zoom effect.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.