For illumination applications, such as in holography, optical processing, spectroscopy, materials processing, and lithography, it is very important for the laser beam to uniformly illuminate the target surface. Geometrical optics is used to configure reflective and/or refractive optical components so that the irradiance profile of a laser beam can uniformly illuminate a target surface. The laws of reflection and/or refraction, ray tracing, conservation of energy within a bundle of rays, and constant optical path length condition are used to determine the shapes of the optical components required to achieve the desired target illumination. Interference or diffraction effects are not considered as part of the design process. References 1 and 2 describe the theory of using geometrical optics for the design laser beam shaping systems.
REFERENCES
1.
Shealy
, D.L.
“Geometrical Methods” in Laser Beam Shaping: Theory and Techniques
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and S. C.
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: Marcel Dekker
, 2000
: 163
–213
.2.
Shealy
, D.L.
“Theory of Geometrical Methods for Design of Laser Beam Shaping Systems
” in Proceedings of SPIE
, Vol. 4095
. Bellingham
: SPIE
, 2000
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.3.
Silfvast
, W.T.
Laser Fundamentals. New York
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.4.
McDermit
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McDermit
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: University of Mississippi, University of Mississippi
, 1972
.6.
Malyak
, P.W.
Two-mirror Unobscured Optical System for Reshaping the Irradiance Distribution of a Laser Beam
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; pp. 4377
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.7.
Shealy
, D.L.
and Chao
, S.H.
“Design and Analysis of an Elliptical Gaussian Laser Beam Shaping System
,” to appear in Proceedings of SPIE
. Vol. 4443
. Bellingham: SPIE,2001
.8.
Kreuzer
, J.L.
Coherent Light Optical System Yielding an Output Beam of Desired Intensity Distribution at a Desired Equiphase Surface
. U. S. Patent 3,476,463: 1968
, November, 4.9.
Rhodes
, P.W.
and Shealy
, D.L.
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.10.
Rhodes
, P.W.
Design and Analysis of Refractive Optical Systems for Irradiance Redistribution of Collimated Radiation
. M. S. Thesis. Birmingham
: University of Alabama in Birmingham
, 1979
.11.
Haffnagle
, J.A.
and Jefferson
, C.M.
Design and Performance of a Refractive Optical System that Converts Gaussian to a Flattop Beam
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; pp. 5488
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.12.
Cornwell
, D.F.
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, Ph.D. Dissertation. Coral Gables, University of Miami
, 1980
.13.
Cornwell
, D.F.
“Non-projective Transformations in Optics
,” in Proceedings of SPIE
, Vol. 294
. Bellingham
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.14.
Jiang
, W.
, Shealy
, D.L.
and Martin
, J.C.
“Design and Testing of a Refractive Reshaping System
,” in Proceedings of SPIE
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.15.
Jiang
, W.
Application of a Laser Beam Profile Reshaper to Enhance Performance of Holographic Projection Systems. Ph.D. Dissertation. Birmingham
, University of Alabama at Birmingham
, 1993
.16.
Jiang
, W
, Shealy
, D.L.
and Baker
, K.M.
“Optical Design and Testing of a Holographic Projection System
.” in Proceedings of SPIE
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.17.
Solimeno
, S.
, Crosignani
, B.
and DiPorto
, P.
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: 49
.18.
Ghatak
, A.K.
and Thyagarajan
, K.
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.19.
Born
, M
and Wolf
, E.
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.20.
Silfvast
, pp. 337
–45
.21.
Private communications
with S. H.
Chao
.22.
Evans
, N.C.
and Shealy
, D.L.
“Optimization-based Techniques for Laser Shaping Optics,” in Laser Beam Shaping: Theory and Techniques
, F. M.
Dickey
and S. C.
Holswade
, eds. New York
: Marcel Dekker
, 2000
: 215
–247
.23.
Evans
, N.C.
and Shealy
, D.L.
Design and Optimization of an Irradiance Profile Shaping System with a Genetic Algorithm Method
. Appl. Opt.
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: 1998
; pp. 5216
–5221
.24.
Ken Baker of Optimetrix Co
. provided the initial specifications and requirements for this system. Optimetrix is located at 13659 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA, 91401. The final has been fabricated by Optimetrix as part of a holographic projection system
. See Baker
, K.M.
Highly Corrected Submicrometer Grid Patterning on Curved Surfaces
. Appl. Opt.
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: 1999
; pp. 339
–351
.25.
Smith
, W.J.
and Genesee Optics Software, Inc. Modem Lens Design.
New York
: McGraw-Hill
, 1992
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Jiang
, W.
and Shealy
, D.L.
“Development and Testing of a Refractive Laser Beam Shaping System
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, Vol. 4095
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, SPIE
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.27.
Focus Software, Inc.
, P.O. Box 18228, Tucson, AZ 85731.
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