Laser Shaping Device Using Angled Cylindrical Lens Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for shaping laser radiation struggle to achieve higher brilliance and effective construction, particularly in matching the product of the core diameter and numerical aperture of an optical fiber with the beam parameter product of individual emitters from a laser diode bar, especially when the beam parameters differ between the slow and fast axes.
Innovation Solution
The device employs cylindrical lenses with angled cylinder axes to selectively act on the fast and slow axes of laser radiation, using wedge-shaped structures and offset lenses to deflect and refract the radiation, ensuring that each emitter's radiation is optimally directed onto corresponding lenses, thereby achieving improved collimation and imaging across both axes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional lens arrangements are used to shape laser radiation, then the device structure is relatively simple, but the brilliance and coupling efficiency into optical fiber are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the laser beam into multiple sub-beams using a lens array, where each lens corresponds to one emitter. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each beam path, improving coupling efficiency into the optical fiber while maintaining a manageable device structure through systematic arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces angular deviation in the third dimension (propagation direction) by tilting the cylinder axes of lenses relative to the transverse plane. This dimensional change enables control of both fast and slow axes beam parameters simultaneously, achieving high brilliance and proper beam parameter matching for fiber coupling without excessive structural complexity.
2Reliability
If cylindrical lenses with angled cylinder axes are used, then beam quality is maintained and coupling efficiency is enhanced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each cylindrical lens in the array is designed with specific local quality characteristics - unique cylinder axis angles and wedge shapes tailored to its position and the corresponding emitter's beam parameters. This local optimization maintains overall beam quality while distributing manufacturing precision requirements across multiple standardized components rather than demanding extreme precision from a single complex element.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively couples high-brilliance laser radiation into an optical fiber, maintaining beam quality by aligning the beam parameter product at both the source and fiber input, enhancing the coupling efficiency and adaptability for various laser sources.
Implementation Method 1
the lenses of the first lens array are designed as cylindrical lenses or cylinder-like lenses, the cylinder axes of at least two of the cylindrical lenses or cylinder-like lenses of the first lens array enclosing an angle greater than 0° and less than 25° with one another
Implementation Method 2
This deflection can be supported, for example, by different wedge-shaped structures of the lenses of the first lens array in the first direction
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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Figure 6~7
AI summary
Device for producing laser radiation (10a, 10c), comprising a component (1) having an entry face (2) and an exit face (3), a first lens array (4) on the entry face (2) which comprises a plurality of lenses (5a, 5c, 5e) arranged next to one another in the X direction, and a second lens array (6) on the exit face (3) which comprises a plurality of lenses (7a, 7c, 7e) arranged next to one another in the Y direction, wherein the laser radiation (10a, 10c), with regard to the X and Y direction, is deflected at a different angle by a first of the lenses (5a, 5c, 5e) of the first lens array (4) than by a second of the lenses (5a, 5c, 5e) of the first lens array (4), and/or wherein the laser radiation (10a, 10c), with regard to the X and Y direction, is deflected at a different angle by a first of the lenses (7a, 7c, 7e) of the second lens array (6) than by a second of the lenses (7a, 7c, 7e) of the second lens array (6).