Methods for altering properties of a radiation beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914902-B2
Application number	US-201916292622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Feb 26, 2014
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

In various embodiments, a beam-parameter adjustment system and focusing system alters a spatial power distribution of a radiation beams before the beam is coupled into an optical fiber or delivered to a workpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of altering one or more properties of a radiation beam, the method comprising:
receiving a radiation beam from a beam source;
splitting the radiation beam into at least a first portion and a second portion;
coupling the first portion of the radiation beam into an optical fiber at a first location on an input face of the optical fiber;
coupling the second portion of the radiation beam into the optical fiber at a second location on the input face of the optical fiber, the second location being different from the first location; and
emitting an output radiation beam from an output face of the optical fiber, the output radiation beam (i) comprising the first and second portions of the radiation beam and (ii) having one or more properties different from those of the radiation beam.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the first portion of the radiation beam into the optical fiber comprises focusing the first portion of the radiation beam toward the optical fiber with an optical element.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein coupling the second portion of the radiation beam into the optical fiber comprises focusing the second portion of the radiation beam toward the optical fiber with the optical element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein splitting the radiation beam into at least the first portion and the second portion comprises receiving the radiation beam with a uniaxial crystal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein splitting the radiation beam into at least the first portion and the second portion comprises receiving the radiation beam with a beam splitter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein splitting the radiation beam into at least the first portion and the second portion comprises receiving the radiation beam with an acousto-optic element.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when the radiation beam is received, the radiation beam has a first trajectory, and, after the radiation beam is split into at least the first portion and the second portion, the second portion of the radiation beam has a second trajectory different from the first trajectory.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein, after the radiation beam is split into at least the first portion and the second portion, the first portion of the radiation beam has substantially the first trajectory.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiation beam is a multi-wavelength beam composed of a plurality of different wavelengths.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the first portion of the radiation beam into the optical fiber at the first location on the input face of the optical fiber comprises coupling the first portion of the radiation beam into a first core region of the optical fiber.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the second portion of the radiation beam into the optical fiber at the second location on the input face of the optical fiber comprises coupling the second portion of the radiation beam into a second core region of the optical fiber, the second core region being separated from the first core region by at least one cladding region.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the second portion of the radiation beam into the optical fiber at the second location on the input face of the optical fiber comprises coupling at least some of the second portion of the radiation beam into a cladding region of the optical fiber.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the first portion of the radiation beam into the optical fiber at the first location on the input face of the optical fiber comprises coupling at least some of the first portion of the radiation beam into a first cladding region of the optical fiber.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein coupling the second portion of the radiation beam into the optical fiber at the second location on the input face of the optical fiber comprises coupling at least some of the second portion of the radiation beam into a second cladding region of the optical fiber different from the first cladding region.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein power levels of the first portion of the radiation beam and the second portion of the radiation beam are different.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein frequencies of the first portion of the radiation beam and the second portion of the radiation beam are different.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing the at least a portion of the output radiation beam to process a workpiece.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the workpiece is at least one of welded, cut, heated, or drilled with the at least a portion of the output radiation beam.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam source comprises a wavelength beam combining system comprising (i) a plurality of emitters collectively emitting a plurality of beams, (ii) a dispersive element for combining the plurality of beams, and (iii) a partially reflecting output coupler from which the radiation beam is emitted.

Assignees

• Tayebati Parviz
• Zhou Wang Long
• Chann Bien
• Lochman Bryan
• Teradiode Inc

Inventors

• Tayebati Parviz
• Zhou Wang-Long
• Chann Bien
• Lochman Bryan

Classifications

• G02F1/33 Primary

  Acousto-optical deflection devices {(circuit or control arrangements therefor G02F1/113)} · CPC title

• G02B6/4206 Primary

  Optical features (G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4213

  the intermediate optical elements being polarisation selective optical elements (G02B6/27 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F2203/28

  focussing or defocussing · CPC title

• G02B6/4214

  the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title