A method and an apparatus for collecting powder samples in real-time in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing may involves an ingester system for in-process collection and characterizations of powder samples. The collection may be performed periodically and uses the results of characterizations for adjustments in the powder bed fusion process. The ingester system of the present disclosure is capable of packaging powder samples collected in real-time into storage containers serving a multitude purposes of audit, process adjustments or actions.

High-efficiency line-forming optical systems and methods that employ a serrated aperture are disclosed. The line-forming optical system includes a laser source, a beam conditioning optical system, a first aperture device, and a relay optical system that includes a second aperture device having the serrated aperture. The serrated aperture is defined by opposing serrated blades configured to reduce intensity variations in a line image formed at an image plane as compared to using an aperture having straight-edged blades.

A light transmissive structure includes a light transmissive substrate having first and second opposing faces, and an array of microprism elements on the first face. Each microprism element includes a first inclined surface disposed at a first inclined angle relative to the second face, and a second inclined surface disposed at a second inclined angle relative to the second face. The first inclined angle is less than the second inclined angle, and a peak angle between the first inclined surface and second inclined surface is in the range of about 70 degrees to about 100 degrees. The second inclined surface has a convex curvature when viewed from angles perpendicular thereto. The light transmissive structure is configured to receive light from a light source facing the first face in a first direction and redistribute light emerging from the second face in a second direction different from the first direction.

The invention provides a system (1000) comprising (i) a light emitting layer (100), (ii) a first lens (200), and a thermal conductor (300), wherein: —the light emitting layer (100) comprises luminescent material (150), wherein the luminescent material (150) is configured to generate luminescent material light (151) upon excitation with light source light (11) from a first light source (10) comprising a wavelength where the luminescent material (150) can be excited, wherein the light emitting layer (100) comprises a light receiving area (110) having a light receiving area size A.sub.1; —the first lens (200) comprises a truncated ball shaped lens (250) having a curved lens surface (215) having a radius R.sub.0 relative to a central point (O), and a planar lens surface (225) configured at a first distance d.sub.1 from the central point (O), wherein the planar lens surface (225) has a planar lens surface area size A.sub.2, wherein the first lens (200) comprises a lens material (205) having an index of refraction n at a predetermined wavelength λ.sub.1 selected from a wavelength in the UV, visible, and infrared, wherein d.sub.1=x*R.sub.0/n, wherein 0.9≤x≤1.1, wherein the planar lens surface area size A.sub.2 is larger than the light receiving area size A.sub.1, wherein the first lens (200) is configured to concentrate light received at the curved lens surface (215) to provide light emanating from the planar lens surface (225), wherein the planar lens surface (225) is directed to the light receiving area (110); and —the thermal conductor (300) is configured in thermal contact with one or more of the light emitting layer (100) and the first lens (200).

A groove processing device (100) that forms a groove in a surface of an object using a laser beam includes: a light source device (11) that outputs the laser beam; a polygon mirror (10) that reflects the laser beam output from the light source device (11); and an optical system that is provided on an optical path of the laser beam reflected from the polygon mirror (10) and includes a condensing portion (13A) which transmits the laser beam reflected from one surface of the polygon mirror (10) so as to be focused on the surface of the object and a non-condensing portion (13B) which is provided outside the condensing portion (13A) and transmits the laser beam reflected from a corner portion, in which two adjacent surfaces of the polygon mirror (10) meet, so as not to be focused on the surface of the object.

The invention relates to an optical lens (10) for a photodiode-equipped device, which is arrangeable at and/or in the photodiode-equipped device in such a way that light beams (14) emitted by at least two photodiodes of the photodiode-equipped device transmit into the optical lens (10) through a light entrance side (S1) of the optical lens (10) and emerge from the optical lens (10) at a light exit side (S2) of the optical lens (10), and for which a central longitudinal axis (16) extending centrally through the light entrance side (S1) and centrally through the light exit side (S2) is definable, wherein the light entrance side (S1) of the optical lens (10) and the light exit side (S2) of the optical lens (10) are embodied in each case as a freeform surface for off-axis projection in such a way that the light beams (14) emitted by the photodiodes (32) arranged on a circular path around the central longitudinal axis (16) are focused off-axis by means of the optical lens (10).

An input face of a lens includes an upper portion configured to divert the light rays so that they are substantially parallel to the horizontal midplane (P2), and a lower portion configured to reduce the vertical opening angle (α) of the light beam, according to the vertical axis (Z). The output face of the lens includes a central vertical portion substantially planar and orthogonal to the optical axis. On either side of the central vertical portion, a lateral portion is configured to divert each light ray in the direction of the vertical midplane (P1), according to an amplitude of deflection that is even larger as the point of incidence of the light ray on said lateral portion is close to the vertical midplane (P1).

Methods and systems are provided for an adaptive illumination system. In one example, an adaptive illumination system comprises an adaptive illuminator comprising at least three optical elements including a first optical element, a second optical element, and a third optical element, wherein a distance between the first optical element and the second optical element is adjustable.

A light source module includes a light source, a dichroic unit, a color wheel and a wavelength conversion unit. The light source is configured to emit a light. The dichroic unit is opposite to the light source and configured to reflect a portion of the light as a first illumination light in a first direction and reflect a portion of the light as a second illumination light in a second direction inverse to the first direction. The color wheel is opposite to the dichroic unit and configured to at least receive the first illumination light. The color wheel has a blue filter area, a green filter area and a red filter area. The wavelength conversion unit is opposite to the color wheel and the dichroic unit and configured to at least receive the second illumination light and provide a converted light to the color wheel.

An apparatus includes a processing chamber, a substrate support in the processing chamber, a plasma source coupled to the processing chamber, and a plurality of heating devices arranged on the processing chamber. Each heating device is configured to emit laser beam on a substrate positioned on the substrate support to heat the substrate.