nLIGHT, Inc.
FUNCTIONALLY HOMOGENIZED INTENSITY DISTRIBUTION FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OR OTHER INDUSTRIAL LASER PROCESSING APPLICATIONS

Abstract:

Disclosed are techniques for generating a laser output beam having a functionally homogenized intensity distribution. According to some embodiments, a population of few modes in a multi-mode confinement core is excited by application of a low-moded source beam to the multi-mode confinement core, such that the population exhibit an unstable intensity distribution. The unstable intensity distribution is functionally homogenized by providing one or both of modulation of phase displacement in the multi-mode confinement core and variation of launch conditions of the low-moded source beam into the multi-mode confinement core.