Multibeam 3-D focus generator

A method for focusing a photon beam into a material, the method comprising:

• directing a photon beam at a means for splitting the photon beam such that the photon beam is split into a plurality of component beams;
• focusing the component beams within the material, with the component beams being focused at a predetermined focal depth within the material;
• and
• adapting the wavefronts of the component beams based at least in part on the focal depth.

A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a device for focusing a photon beam into a material and/or by a computer, cause the device and/or the computer to carry out a method for focusing the photon beam into the material,

• wherein the device comprises:
• means for splitting the photon beam into a plurality of component beams;
• means for focusing the component beams at a predetermined focal depth within the material;
• and
• means for adapting the wavefronts of the component beams based at least in part on the focal depth;
• wherein the method comprises:
• directing the photon beam at the means for splitting the photon beam such that the photon beam is split into the plurality of component beams;
• focusing the component beams within the material, with the component beams being focused at the predetermined focal depth within the material;
• and
• adapting the wavefronts of the component beams based at least in part on the focal depth.

An apparatus for focusing a photon beam into a material comprising:

• a splitter comprising one or more optical elements configured to split the photon beam into component beams;
• a focusing unit comprising one or more lenses configured to focus the component beams at a predetermined focal depth within the material;
• and
• a wavefront manipulator comprising one or more optical components configured to adjust at least one of a phase, an amplitude, or a polarization of one or more portions of the component beams to adapt the wavefronts of the component beams based at least in part on the focal depth.

An apparatus comprising:

• a phase modulator configured to split a photon beam into component beams, wherein the phase modulator comprises one or more optical elements configured to locally change the phase of the photon beam to split the photon beam into the component beams;
• and
• a focusing unit comprising one or more lenses configured to focus the component beams at a predetermined focal depth within a material;
• wherein the phase modulator is configured to adapt the wavefronts of the component beams based at least in part on the focal depth.

A method comprising:

• generating component beams based on a photon beam;
• focusing the component beams at a focal depth within a material;
• and
• adapting the wavefronts of the component beams based at least in part on the focal depth.

A computer-implemented method for determining a target state of a wavefront, the method comprising:

• simulating, using one or more data processors, a course of a photon beam by use of a simulation set-up that is at least based on an apparatus and a material, wherein the apparatus is configured to focus the photon beam into the material;
• defining, using the one or more data processors, a target state of a wavefront of the photon beam and/or of a component beam at the focal depth within the material, wherein the component beam is derived from the photon beam;
• and
• transforming, using the one or more data processors, the target state of the wavefront at the focal depth into a corresponding target state of the wavefront in a plane of the apparatus that is configured to focus the photon beam into the material.