Laser Beam NA-Clipping Assembly With Aperture Beam Traps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fiber laser beams with high numerical aperture (NA) exceed the requirements of many optical systems, leading to issues like overheating, misalignment, and component damage due to excess NA.
Innovation Solution
An optical assembly is introduced that includes aperture structures and beam traps to modify the NA of the laser beam, using reflective surfaces and cooling mechanisms to redirect and absorb high-NA light, while maintaining the form factor and efficiency of existing collimators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If fiber laser beams with high numerical aperture are used, then power scaling and price reduction are achieved, but overheating, misalignment, and component damage occur due to excess NA
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful high-NA portion of the laser beam using an aperture structure. The aperture is positioned to block only the excessive NA components while allowing the useful lower-NA portion to pass through to the optical system, thereby separating the harmful elements from the beneficial ones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical assembly comprising an aperture and beam trap between the high-power fiber laser source and the optical system. This intermediary component modifies the beam's NA profile, acting as a mediator that adapts the high-NA output to the lower-NA requirements of downstream optics without losing the power benefits.
2Reliability
If aperture structures and beam traps are added to modify NA, then excess NA is reduced and component damage is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the aperture structure and beam trap into a single integrated optical assembly unit. The aperture is positioned within the beam trap housing, and both components work together as a unified system to manage the laser beam, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it limits the numerical aperture, traps and redirects excess beam energy, and protects downstream components. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protective devices, thereby managing complexity while enhancing reliability.
3Temperature
If high-NA light is redirected to beam traps, then overheating is prevented, but energy loss increases due to absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful high-NA light that would otherwise cause overheating into a beneficial protective mechanism. The beam trap captures the excessive NA portion and redirects it away from sensitive optics, transforming what would be a harmful thermal load into a controlled energy management solution that protects the system.
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
The optical assembly effectively reduces excess NA, preventing overheating and damage, and allows for the use of fiber laser beams in systems with lower NA requirements, enhancing the reliability and safety of optical systems.
Implementation Method 1
The optical assembly may include one or more aperture structures to clip the laser beam to strip out an NA range of light... one or more passively or actively cool beam traps, and the aperture structure(s) may be arranged to pass a first portion of the laser beam and redirect a second portion of the laser beam to the passively or actively cooled beam trap(s)
Implementation Method 2
one or more passively or actively cool beam traps, and the aperture structure(s) may be arranged to pass a first portion of the laser beam and redirect a second portion of the laser beam to the passively or actively cooled beam trap(s)
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments may include an optical assembly usable to process light output from a laser source. The apparatus may include a housing to receive a distal end of an optical fiber that outputs the laser light; one or more actively cooled or passively cooled beam traps contained within the housing or coupled to the housing; and one or more optical apertures located inside the housing, at least one of the optical apertures to define a numerical aperture (NA) of a first portion of the laser light based on a radial dimension of the at least one optical aperture, the at least one optical aperture arranged to pass the first portion of the light and redirect a second different portion of the laser light to the one or more actively cooled or passively cooled beam traps. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.