System, method and article of manufacture for a beam splitting acousto-optical modulator

A laser direct imaging device comprising:

• a laser source;
• a combined modulator and laser beam splitter wherein the combined
• modulator and laser beam splitter includes:
• a crystal, wherein the crystal includes:
• a top surface and a bottom surface;
• a horizontal cross-sectional shape of a pentagon including:
• a first side and a second side wherein the first side and the second side are substantially parallel;
• a third side wherein the third side is substantially perpendicular to the first and second sides and wherein the third side forms an acute angle with the bottom surface and wherein an absorber is mounted on the third side;
• a fourth side and a fifth side, wherein the fourth and fifth sides are substantially opposite to the third side;
• and
• a plurality of layers wherein each one of the plurality of layers includes:
• an incident window on the first side;
• an active window on the second side and a transparent axis between the incident window and the active window;
• and
• a first and second transducers wherein the first and second transducers are mounted on the fourth and fifth sides and wherein the fourth and fifth sides form an angle substantially equal to 180 degrees minus the sum of a first and a second Bragg angle;
• and
• a plurality of optical scanning units oriented to receive a first diffracted laser beam from the combined modulator and laser beam splitter and oriented to project the first diffracted laser beam to a receiving surface.