Design of high-performance CO2 laser beam scanning objectives

David James Grey

doi:10.1117/12.281091

18 August 1997 Design of high-performance CO₂ laser beam scanning objectives

David James Grey

Proceedings Volume 3097, Lasers in Material Processing; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.281091
Event: Lasers and Optics in Manufacturing III, 1997, Munich, Germany

Abstract

The applications of laser scanning systems in areas such as laser welding, cutting and marking continue to increase with the improvement in scanning mechanisms such as galvanometer scanners. These continue to challenge the optical designer to produce high performance lenses which can fulfill the need for a smaller focused spot size over larger flat field scan areas. CO₂ lasers offer the advantages of high power (kW) but their long wavelength of 10.6 microns compared to 1.06 microns of Nd-YAG means that CO₂ has 10 times the focussed spot size for the same aperture. Increasing the aperture of CO₂ scanning systems will therefore help to increase the application potential of these systems. This paper presents a review of the optical design factors which determine the performance of a CO₂ scanning system. These factors have been used to produce several lens designs which are capable of scanning a focussed spot size of 100 microns or less over areas up to 100 mm square.

Citation Download Citation

David James Grey "Design of high-performance CO₂ laser beam scanning objectives", Proc. SPIE 3097, Lasers in Material Processing, (18 August 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.281091

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