Optical rotating device for injecting a laser beam and method for positioning a laser beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9601897-B2
Application number	US-201314759728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2013
Priority date	Jan 9, 2013
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

An optical rotating device for injecting a laser beam may include deflection devices between which the injected laser beam may rotate in the optical rotating device, and an extraction device that may extract the laser beam after carrying out a predetermined number of rotations in the rotating device. The deflection devices may be arranged such that the position of the laser beam during extraction is dependent on the number of rotations carried out in the optical rotating device.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An optical circulation device for coupling in a laser beam, comprising:
deflection devices between which the coupled-in laser beam carries out circulations in the optical circulation device, and
an out-coupling device configured for coupling out the laser beam after having carried out a predetermined number of circulations in the circulation device,
wherein the deflection devices are designed and arranged in such a way that the position of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device; wherein the
deflection devices are designed and arranged in such a way that at least three different positions of the laser beam when coupling out depend on three different numbers of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

2. The optical circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the deflection devices are designed and arranged in such a way that a lateral offset of the position of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

3. The optical circulation device according to claim 2 , wherein the deflection devices are designed and arranged in such a way that in two dimensions a lateral offset of the position of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

4. The optical circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the deflection devices are designed and arranged in such a way that a beam angle of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

5. The optical circulation device according claim 1 , wherein the deflection devices are designed and arranged in such a way that a circular path offset of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

6. The optical circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the out-coupling device comprises a Pockels cell.

7. The optical circulation device according to claim 6 , wherein the Pockels cell is arranged in such a way that each circulation of the laser beam in the circulation device passes through the Pockels cell.

8. The optical circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the deflection devices are designed and arranged in such a way that the circulation of the laser beam in the circulation device is carried out in a spiral shaped path.

9. A method of positioning a laser beam, comprising: coupling a laser beam into an optical circulation device,
carrying out a predetermined number of circulations of the laser beam in the optical circulation device, and coupling the laser beam out of the circulation device,
wherein the position of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device; wherein carrying out a predetermined number of circulations and coupling the laser beam out of the circulation device includes operating deflection devices, between which the coupled-in laser beam carries out circulations in the optical circulation device, such that at least three different positions of the laser beam when coupling out depend on three different numbers of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the deflection devices are arranged such that a lateral offset of the position of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the deflection devices are arranged such that in two dimensions a lateral offset of the position of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the deflection devices are arranged such that a beam angle of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the deflection devices are arranged such that a circular path offset of the laser beam when coupling out depends on the number of circulations carried out in the optical circulation device.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein coupling the laser beam out of the circulation device includes operating an out-coupling device comprising a Pockels cell.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the Pockels cell is arranged such that each circulation of the laser beam in the circulation device passes through the Pockels cell.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the deflection devices are arranged that circulation of the laser beam in the circulation device is carried out in a spiral shaped path.

Assignees

• Univ Stuttgart

Inventors

• Fruechtenicht Johannes

Classifications

• H01S3/235

  Regenerative amplifiers · CPC title

• G02B27/144

  using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity (G02B27/147 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K26/0604 Primary

  by a combination of beams · CPC title

• G02F1/0311

  Structural association of optical elements, e.g. lenses, polarizers, phase plates, with the crystal · CPC title

• H01S3/0064

  Anti-reflection devices, e.g. optical isolaters (absorbing layers for marking or protecting purposes in laser working B23K26/50; magneto-optical non-reciprocal devices G02F1/093, G02F1/0955) · CPC title