Abstract: An optical apparatus for controlled forward routing of a laser beam includes an acousto-optical modulator for feeding through a forward-traveling laser beam and deflecting a backward-traveling laser beam, a spatial filter for the forward-traveling laser beam arranged downstream of the acousto-optical modulator with respect to the forward-traveling laser beam, and a measuring device arranged upstream of the spatial filter with respect to the forward-traveling laser beam. The measuring device is configured to image a near-field plane and a far-field plane of the forward-traveling laser beam onto a common target. The measuring device includes a first optical element and a second optical element. One of the first optical element and the second optical element being arranged in order to split a beam path of the forward-traveling laser beam into a near-field beam path and a far-field beam path, both of which being aligned with the target.