PowerPhotonic, designer and manufacturer of freeform, wafer-scale optics, is launching two single mode beam shaping product lines, the Ring and the Trident. Both convert a single mode Gaussian high power laser beam, as produced by many industrial laser systems, into either a ring profile, or a ‘ring-and-spot’ profile, where the ring and spot power ratio can be specified. The single mode Ring Generator produces an extremely small ring profile at its focus, to enable accurate, additive manufacturing and ultra-fast, material processing. The single mode Trident Generator produces a ring and spot profile, to give an accurate keyhole and controlled melt pool for improved scanner or fixed head welding.

Dr. Stephen Kidd, Head of Sales and Marketing at PowerPhotonic, said, “PowerPhotonic’s ring generators are designed to integrate with, and adapt, existing, single mode Gaussian beam- industrial laser systems. They produce a tightly controlled optical and thermal ‘ring-and-spot’ profile. In welding applications, the ring-and-spot reduces the ‘weld pool’ size, containing and almost eliminating unwanted sputter. For additive manufacturing, the ring profile can enable more intricate shapes to be produced with less, post-manufacture cleaning and finishing, reducing costs.”

PowerPhotonic’s ring generators are accurate; wavelength independent; handle very high powers; and deliver efficiencies exceeding 95% – a 15% improvement over the nearest, best alternatives. They are designed to replace axicons, which are limited in profile shape; ring core fiber solutions, which are expensive; and diffractive optical elements, which only operate at specific wavelengths.