Abstract: A metalenslet beam homogenizer offers an alternative to classical beam homogenization techniques by leveraging flat optical metasurfaces. The metalenslet beam homogenizer would be beneficial, for example, for high power laser applications, such as laser material processing, digital projection, optical lithography, and additive manufacturing in which it is necessary to expose a certain area on a workpiece to a well-defined amount of optical radiation. The metalenslet beam homogenizer provides benefits by enhancing the beam homogenization quality, reducing size and complexity, and lowering optical power loss. It does so by using nanophotonic metasurface lenses and offers higher homogenization quality by mitigating the impact of diffraction and reducing the size of the optical system by combining the functionality of multiple optical elements into fewer devices.

Abstract: An optical linear encoder for measuring distance includes a housing with a glass bar having precision gratings; a reading head body which moves along the housing in a measuring direction; and a carriage which is coupled to the reading head body rigidly in the measuring direction while allowing for minor movements in lateral directions. The carriage includes a scanning reticle guided along the glass bar by the carriage at a constant gap from the glass bar; a photo electronic sensor array which reads variations in intensity of the collimated light passing through both scanning reticle and glass bar, and a light source and a beam forming optics, with the beam forming being performed by an off-axis reflector.