Optically Contacted Acousto-Optic Beam Positioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-axis beam positioners using acousto-optic devices are costly, difficult to align, suffer from optical losses, and have large surface areas prone to contamination, due to the need for multiple mounts and coatings, which degrades their efficiency in laser-based materials processing systems.
Innovation Solution
A multi-axis beam positioner design where components, including acousto-optic deflectors and a half-wave plate, are optically contacted instead of being mechanically mounted, reducing the need for coatings and alignment complexity, and minimizing optical losses by direct surface contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If components are mechanically mounted with mounts and coatings, then alignment and positioning can be achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (acousto-optic devices and half-wave plates) into a single integrated assembly through optical contacting. This eliminates the need for separate mechanical mounts and alignment mechanisms, directly resolving the contradiction by combining multiple elements into one unified structure that requires no additional alignment hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical mounting and alignment system with optical contacting, which uses optical principles rather than mechanical fastening. This substitution eliminates mechanical mounts, screws, and alignment mechanisms while achieving secure component attachment and precise optical alignment through the optical contacting process itself.
2Loss of energy
If anti-reflective coatings are applied to component surfaces, then optical losses are reduced, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for anti-reflective coatings by using optical contacting to join components. The optical contacting process creates such strong bonding between surfaces that the interfaces become optically transparent without requiring additional coating layers, thereby removing this manufacturing step while maintaining low optical losses.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used in multi-axis beam positioners, then functional versatility is achieved, but optical losses and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple acousto-optic devices and half-wave plates into a single optically contacted assembly, maintaining the multi-axis scanning functionality while reducing the number of optical interfaces. This merging approach preserves the versatility of multi-axis beam control while minimizing optical losses by eliminating unnecessary air-glass interfaces between separate components.
4Loss of energy
If components are optically contacted, then optical losses are minimized and alignment is simplified, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing precise surface preparation and alignment of components before the optical contacting process. This preliminary positioning and surface treatment ensures that when optical contacting occurs, the surfaces are already in optimal alignment, thereby achieving low optical losses without requiring excessively tight tolerances during the final bonding process.
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 reduces costs, minimizes optical losses, and enhances the efficiency of laser beam deflection in multi-axis scanning by eliminating the need for anti-reflective coatings and simplifying alignment, while maintaining precise control over polarization states.
Implementation Method 1
The transducer 104 is generally a piezoelectric transducer, and is operative to vibrate in response to an input RF signal
Implementation Method 2
The propagating acoustic wave creates periodic regions of expansion and compression in the AO medium, thereby creating a periodically changing refractive index within the AO medium. The periodically changing refractive index functions like an optical grating that can diffract a beam of laser light
Implementation Method 3
The periodically changing refractive index functions like an optical grating that can diffract a beam of laser light propagating through the AO medium, and thereby deflect the beam of laser light transmitted through the AO medium
Implementation Method 4
two or more components are optically-contacted together... minimizing optical losses by direct surface contact
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A beam positioner includes a first acousto-optic (AO) deflector (AOD) comprising an AO cell and a transducer attached to the AO cell, and a wave plate optically contacted to the first AOD.