US 12,326,645 B2
Phased-array beam steering for materials processing
Jan Kleinert, Beaverton, OR (US); Justin Redd, Raleigh, NC (US); and James Brookhyser, Beaverton, OR (US)
Assigned to ELECTRO SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIES, INC., Beaverton, OR (US)
Appl. No. 17/290,198
Filed by ELECTRO SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIES, INC., Beaverton, OR (US)
PCT Filed Feb. 4, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/016631
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 29, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/171946, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 27, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/823,454, filed on Mar. 25, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/808,742, filed on Feb. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0376549 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. G02F 1/29 (2006.01); G02F 1/295 (2006.01); B23K 26/067 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/292 (2013.01) [G02F 1/2955 (2013.01); B23K 26/0676 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A beam steering system for materials processing, the system comprising:
a multi-channel beam splitter arranged and configured to split an input optical signal into a plurality of split optical signals;
a plurality of phase modulators, wherein each phase modulator of the plurality of phase modulators is operative to modify a phase of a corresponding split optical signal of the plurality of split optical signals in response to a control signal;
a waveguide arranged at an optical output of the plurality of phase modulators, the waveguide configured to spatially-rearrange the split optical signals output from the plurality of phase modulators into a pattern such that the split optical signals are coherently combinable into a combined optical signal;
an optical amplifier arranged at an optical output of the waveguide, the optical amplifier configured to amplify the spatially-rearranged split optical signals output by the waveguide, thereby outputting an optical beam including the combined optical signal;
a harmonic conversion module arranged and configured to modify a wavelength of the combined optical signal; and
a lens arranged between the optical amplifier and the harmonic conversion module, wherein the lens is configured to collimate light in the combined optical signal received at the harmonic conversion module.