Holo/OR’s diffractive optical elements are becoming more and more popular, especially for use in beam shaping and beam splitting. These elements withstand high power, which is a crucial advantage. At the same time, the specifications provided are only valid for one optical assembly; thus, these DOEs are rather inflexible in their application options.
In many cases, the use of these elements is economical, despite their limited variability; however, time and again, we receive requests to make diffractive optical elements more variable in their application possibilities. Holo/OR responded by introducing two new accessory products onto the market: the DOE tuner and the beam expander.
DOE TUNER
The DOE tuner is a variable beam expander with a zoom range between 0.8 and 1.2. Depending on its positioning in the beam path, the tuner delivers different results.
Placing It before the Diffractive Element
If the DOE tuner is placed before a diffractive TopHat element in the beam path, the smallest ideal spot can be finely adjusted; when placed before multi-spot elements, the spot size can be adapted – without affecting the distance between the spots.
Placing It behind the Diffractive Element
When placing the tuner behind the DOE and before a focusing lens, the spot size can be adjusted in beam shaping elements; in multi-spot elements, the spot size can be adjusted in combination with the distance between the spots.
BEAM Expander
The beam expander is used similarly to the DOE tuner. Instead of a zoom range, it has fixed zoom levels. The beam expander is available in two versions: five times or ten times the magnification. The beam expander was optimized for applications in combination with square TopHats and 2-D beam splitters.
Both lens systems feature very small wavefront errors and are especially suited for high-power applications.
