Laser Applications Laboratory (LAL)

Laser Beam Delivery

Intensity profile of a focused fiber-optic delivered beam from a 1 kW Nd:YAG laser.  (see larger size image).

The laser-beam delivery system controls the intensity and power delivered to the workpiece. Improvements in beam shaping and control translate into better coupling of the laser-beam energy to the workpiece, for more efficient and faster processing. The LAL is working with a beam-delivery supplier and a laser manufacturer to develop improved processing tools that use lasers for more cost-effective manufacturing. Experiments on cutting-edge optical technologies are carried out to determine what level of benefits they offer in practice.

In one set of recent tests, our existing BK7 lenses were replaced by equivalent lenses made from LightPath Technologies GRADIUM(TM) materials. Lenses with standard spherical surfaces made from GRADIUM have the same effect as a single-term aspheric lens and produce significantly less aberration. With our 1 mm core fiber-optic-delivered Nd:YAG laser, we found that smaller focused spots were observed with the GRADIUM lenses. More details can be found in Industrial Laser Review, May 1996 and future journal articles.