A beam positioner can be broadly characterized as including a first acousto-optic (AO) deflector (AOD) operative to diffract an incident beam of linearly polarized laser light, wherein the first AOD has a first diffraction axis and wherein the first AOD is oriented such that the first diffraction axis has a predetermined spatial relationship with the plane of polarization of the linearly polarized laser light. The beam positioner can include at least one phase-shifting reflector arranged within a beam path along which light is propagatable from the first AOD. The at least one phase-shifting reflector can be configured and oriented to rotate the plane of polarization of light diffracted by the first AOD.

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.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe techniques for controlling coherent crosstalk errors that occur in multi-channel acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) by applying cancellation tones to reduce or eliminate the crosstalk errors. For example, a method and systems are described that include applying a first radio frequency (RF) tone to generate a first acoustic wave in a first channel of the multi-channel AOM, wherein a portion of the first acoustic wave interacts with a second channel to cause a crosstalk effect, and applying a second RF tone to generate a second acoustic wave in the second channel, wherein the second acoustic wave reduces or eliminates the crosstalk effect caused by the portion of the first acoustic wave.

A system may include a laser source, and an AOM coupled to the laser source. The AOM may include an acousto-optic medium, and transducer electrodes carried by the acousto-optic medium. The system may also include an interface board having a dielectric layer, and vertically extending signal vias within the dielectric layer. Each vertically extending signal via may have a lower end in contact with a respective transducer electrode. The interface board may have laterally extending signal traces carried by the dielectric layer. Each laterally extending signal trace may be in contact with an upper end of a respective vertically extending signal via.

An acousto-optic system may include a laser source, and an AOM coupled to the laser source and having an acousto-optic medium and transducer electrodes carried by the medium. The acousto-optic system may also include an interface board with a dielectric layer and signal contacts carried by the dielectric layer, and connections coupling respective signal contacts with respective transducer electrodes. Each connection may include a dielectric protrusion extending from the AOM, and an electrically conductive layer on the dielectric protrusion for coupling a respective transducer electrode to a respective signal contact.

The technology disclosed relates to developing an acousto-optic device (AOD) using an alpha-barium borate (αBBO) crystal. An AOD using αBBO enables high-resolution microlithographic patterning. The AOD includes a slab of αBBO coupled to an RF transducer that drives an acoustic wave through the crystal structure. A laser source emits a beam of light that is incident on the crystal surface. The propagated acoustic wave acts as a diffraction grating that diffracts the incident wave. Using an αBBO crystal allows for high resolution of light in the ultraviolet and visible spectra. The low speed of acoustic wave propagation through the crystal allows for more laser spots to be imaged than AODs made using other types of crystals.

A holographic display is comprised of space-multiplexed elemental modulators, each of which consists of a surface acoustic wave transducer atop an anisotropic waveguide. Each line of the overall display consists of a single anisotropic waveguide across the display's length with multiple surface acoustic wave transducers spaced along the waveguide length, although for larger displays, the waveguide may be divided into segments, each provided with separate illumination. Light that is undiffracted by a specific transducer is available for diffraction by subsequent transducers. Per transducer, guided-mode light is mode-converted to leaky-mode light, which propagates into the substrate away from the viewer before encountering a volume reflection grating and being reflected and steered towards the viewer. The display is transparent and all reflection volume gratings operate in the Bragg regime, thereby creating no dispersion of ambient light.

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.

An apparatus includes an acousto-optical deflector (AOD) system operative to deflect a beam of laser energy within a two-dimensional scan field. The AOD system includes a first AOD operative to deflect the beam of laser energy along a first axis of the two-dimensional scan field; a second AOD arranged optically downstream of the first AOD, wherein the second AOD is operative to deflect the beam of laser energy along a second axis of the two-dimensional scan field; and a controller operatively coupled to the AOD system. The controller is configured to drive each of the first AOD and the second AOD to deflect the beam of laser energy within the two-dimensional scan field and is further configured to drive the first AOD and the second AOD at at least substantially the same diffraction efficiency.

A beam positioner includes a first acousto-optic (AO) deflector (AOD) comprising an AO cell and a transducer attached to the AO cell, and a wave plate optically contacted to the first AOD.