Apparatuses and methods for high-speed laser scanning

A system, comprising:

• an acoustic optical deflector configured for connection to a laser, wherein the acoustic optical deflector is positioned to receive laser light from a laser and configured to sequentially separate the laser light into at least first and second laser light pathways when connected to the laser;
• a light separator connected to the acoustic optical deflector and configured to receive light traveling in the second laser light pathway and increase the separation between the second laser light pathway and the first laser light pathway;
• and
• a rotating polygonal reflector connected to the acoustic optical deflector, the rotating polygonal reflector defining a plurality of reflective surfaces and an edge between two adjacent reflective surfaces, the reflective surfaces being configured to reflect laser light, the rotating polygonal reflector being positioned to receive light traveling in the first laser light pathway and to receive light traveling in the second laser light pathway after being separated from the first laser light pathway by the light separator;
• wherein the rotating polygonal reflector and the acoustic optical deflector are synchronized to change the laser light pathway in which the laser light is traveling from the first laser light pathway to the second laser light pathway when the first laser light pathway approaches an edge of the rotating polygonal reflector.

A method, comprising:

• receiving laser light;
• sequencing the laser light into time separated laser pulses;
• separating the laser light into spatially separated laser pathways;
• moving a reflective surface with at least one edge across the spatially separated laser pathways;
• reflecting the time and spatially separated laser pulses off the moving reflective surface;
• and
• synchronizing the laser light pulses with the moving reflective surface, wherein said synchronizing results in terminating a light pulse traveling in a first laser pathway and initiating a light pulse traveling in a second laser pathway as the first laser pathway approaches an edge of the reflective surface.