Abstract: A method of applying a precompensation for shrinkage during a real-time assembly of an optical component. Prior to the real-time assembly, (a) the optical component is aligned to obtain a reference position (href); (b) pre-assembly laser beam data (reference beam size (?ref), reference beam position (pref), beam size (?), and beam position (p)) is plotted; (c) the optical component is aligned in one or more positions (h) and repeating step (b) for each position (h); (d) adhesive is applied to the base; (e) curing the adhesive; (f) test laser beam data (beam size (?cure) and beam position (pcure)) is plotted; (g) position of the optical component (hcure) is determined based on pre-assembly and test laser beam data; (h) a precompensation value (|href?hcure|) is calculated; and (i) the optical component is aligned at a height (|href?hcure|+href) before performing step (e) during the real-time assembly.

Abstract: A laser apparatus includes at least one electro-optic (EO) medium through which a polarized laser beam passes for N times, forming a plurality of first-pass to Nth-pass beams, by reflecting the polarized laser beam from at least one reflection mirror, and a power supplier configured to alternately provide a 1/N of a half-wave (?/2) or quarter-wave (?/4) voltage and remove the voltage to the EO medium, ? being a wavelength of the polarized laser beam. The at least one EO medium is tilted at angle ? and/or angle ? with respect to one of the plurality of first-pass to Nth-pass beams. The at least one EO medium comprises a M number of EO mediums, and the power supplier is configured to alternately provide a 1/M*N of a half-wave (?/2) or quarter-wave (?/4) voltage and remove the voltage to each of the M number of EO mediums.

Abstract: A laser marking tool for use with a CNC machine is disclosed. The laser marking tool includes a housing; a laser disposed within the housing; at least one sensor disposed within the housing and adapted to interpret a predetermined motion of the CNC machine as a command for the tool to perform a respective predetermined function; and a power source coupled to the laser. The at least one senor is an accelerometer and/or a gyroscope. The respective predetermined function comprises one or more of: powering the laser off/on, synchronizing the laser marking tool, and loading one of the patterns stored in a local memory.

Abstract: A wireless laser marking tool for use in a CNC machine is disclosed. The wireless laser marking tool includes a tool housing with top and bottom opposing ends, a beam delivery system between the ends, and an opening at the bottom end; a tool adapter connected to the top end of the housing for adapting the device to the CNC machine; a laser diode disposed in the beam delivery system; beam-shaping optics disposed in the beam delivery system to focus light emitted from the laser diode through the opening; electronic circuitry disposed in the beam delivery system and in electrical communication with the laser diode; a wireless communication device disposed in the beam delivery system and in electrical communication with the electronic circuitry; and a power source disposed in the beam delivery system and electrically connected to the electronic circuitry.

Abstract: A laser apparatus includes at least one electro-optic (EO) medium through which a polarized laser beam passes for N times, forming a plurality of first-pass to Nth-pass beams, by reflecting the polarized laser beam from at least one reflection mirror, and a power supplier configured to alternately provide a 1/N of a half-wave (?/2) or quarter-wave (?/4) voltage and remove the voltage to the EO medium, ? being a wavelength of the polarized laser beam. The at least one EO medium is tilted at angle ? and/or angle di with respect to one of the plurality of first-pass to Nth-pass beams. The at least one EO medium comprises a M number of EO mediums, and the power supplier is configured to alternately provide a 1/M*N of a half-wave (?/2) or quarter-wave (?/4) voltage and remove the voltage to each of the M number of EO mediums.

Abstract: Despeckle elements, laser beam homogenizers and methods for despeckling are provided. The despeckle element includes a transparent material having a first surface including a plural number of optical steps and a second surface having a plural number of microlenses. Each of the number of optical steps is in a one-to-one correspondence with at least one of the microlenses. One of the first surface and the second surface is configured to receive collimated light having a coherence length and a remaining one of the first surface and the second surface is configured to pass the collimated light separated into a plurality of beamlets corresponding to the number of microlenses. A height of each step of at least two of the optical steps is configured to produce an optical path difference of the collimated light longer than the coherence length.

Abstract: A light diffuser including a transparent substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface having formed thereon a plurality of tilted plane portions including a first tilted plane portion and a second tilted plane portion. The first tilted plane portion being tilted in a first direction and the second tilted plane portion being tilted in a second direction. The first direction of the first tilted plane portion being different from the second direction of the second tilted plane portion.

Abstract: Despeckle elements, laser beam homogenizers and methods for despeckling are provided. The despeckle element includes a transparent material having a first surface including a plural number of optical steps and a second surface having a plural number of microlenses. Each of the number of optical steps is in a one-to-one correspondence with at least one of the microlenses. One of the first surface and the second surface is configured to receive collimated light having a coherence length and a remaining one of the first surface and the second surface is configured to pass the collimated light separated into a plurality of beamlets corresponding to the number of microlenses. A height of each step of at least two of the optical steps is configured to produce an optical path difference of the collimated light longer than the coherence length.

Abstract: A despeckling device and method in which an optical path difference staircase element is disposed between a fly's eye lens array and the image plane in a position near the focus position of the fly's eye lens array, and a laser generating unit generates and transmits pulsed laser beams to the optical path difference staircase element, wherein the pulsed laser beams are driven at a very short pulsed rate.

Abstract: A micro-holographic data storage system and method. Micro-holograms are written to a data storage medium with two counter-propagating beams via objective recording lenses which have a first numerical aperture (NA) to make the micro-holograms larger. Alternatively, elongated micro-holograms can be produced using counter-propagating beams with different focus points. The micro-holograms are retrieved from the data storage medium using a single beam via an objective reading lens which has a second NA that is higher than the first NA. The data storage medium has a substrate with a plurality of tracks separated by a track pitch. The plurality of micro-holograms are each contained in each of the plurality of tracks, wherein, at least one of the plurality of micro-holograms has a width which is nearly equal to a width of the track pitch.

Abstract: An optical system for reading and recording data on a media includes a laser source for generating a laser beam; an optical subsystem for splitting the laser beam into a reference beam and an object beam; and first and second lens for receiving the reference beam and object beam, respectively, and focusing the reference and object beams at a focal point on the media at which the reference beam and object beam interfere with each other. The reference beam and the object beam have first and second optical path lengths defined from the laser source to the focal point of the media. The optical subsystem is positioned so that an optical path length difference between the first and second optical path lengths is substantially equal to an integer multiple of an interference revival period associated with the reference beam and the object beam, the interference revival period associated with peak values of visibility of the interference versus the optical path difference.