Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Adjustable Anamorphic Prism Pair

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Portugal
    Posts
    51

    Lightbulb Adjustable Anamorphic Prism Pair

    Hi ppl, I'm not sure there are another posts related to this topic.
    But it seems to me that this is a very important topic as many of you
    are working with anamorphic prisms.

    Most of us in fact have fixed anamorphic prisms, but we haven't figured
    what a wonderful thing a regulated anamorphic pair of prisms could be.

    For example: we use anamorphic prism pairs to make diode laser beams circular by expanding or compressing one axis of the elliptical beam profile.
    Unfortunately each kind of diode laser shows its individual elliptical axis ratio.
    Therefore, the probability to get a perfect circular beam depends on the diode itself (is beam profile) and the pair of prisms we get.

    On the other hand we know that a pair of prisms could be turned adjustable resulting in a variable magnification between 2 and 6, or in a variable compression between 0.6 and 0.2 of one axis of the elliptical beam profile.

    In practice: Many of us have anamorphic prisms, like the ones in the famous (in photonlexicon at least) Melles Griot laser module.
    So, if we manage to make them adjustable, the result is a perfect circular beam for all kinds of diode lasers.
    (well not all, but all that as a relation between axis till 6:1)
    In all cases the output beam remains parallel to the incident beam with a constant beam displacement of 8 mm Máx.
    Any comments? (I'll post some pictures or a movie in action as at the moment trying to mount such a thing).
    Jose

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    1,354

    Default

    This interests me. I have a Melles 3w and I've been trying to figure out how to adjust what I thought was called the "columnator". (the aparatus that tunes the two beams emitted out of the laser head into one useable beam.) Would this be a related topic?


    -Jonathan

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    1,131

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by platinum View Post
    This interests me. I have a Melles 3w and I've been trying to figure out how to adjust what I thought was called the "columnator". (the aparatus that tunes the two beams emitted out of the laser head into one useable beam.) Would this be a related topic?


    -Jonathan
    A anamorphic pair is used to fix a Eliptical beam (shape)

    I think what you are talking about is a beam combiner??

    The collimator is used to focus the the beam

    see the 2 triangular prisms in my Coherent lit up with Infra red,those are the anamorphic prisms
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails KES_Coherent.jpg  

    Last edited by Lasernerd; 05-30-2008 at 14:10.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    1,354

    Default

    Beam combiner it is. Someone well-versed in laser tech used the word columnator when talking about this particular device. I can't find any information about columnators though, so perhaps the correct term is beam combiner..

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    4,382

    Default

    aparatus that tunes the two beams emitted out of the laser head into one useable beam
    Do you have a pic of this?
    Apples and oranges, I believe-- a combiner is usually a splitter cube that is used to combine (intead of split) 2 beams with opposite polarization, where an anamorphic prism pair is used to tame the fast axis (most divergent) of a single laser beam from a diode laser.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    1,131

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by platinum View Post
    Beam combiner it is. Someone well-versed in laser tech used the word columnator when talking about this particular device. I can't find any information about columnators though, so perhaps the correct term is beam combiner..


    do you have a beam shot you could post?
    also of the internal ?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Canton, GA USA
    Posts
    384

    Default

    I've been involved with lasers and optics for the last 30 years. As far as I know, there's no such thing as a "columnator". I'm pretty sure the person was trying to use the term "collimator". BUT - I might be wrong!

    Tim

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Toronto Canada
    Posts
    1,120

    Default

    Brrr.. 30 years in optics and don't know about focusing a beam to infinity.?? Focusing beam to infinity is called collimation.!!
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collimated_light
    I hired an Italian guy to do my wires. Now they look like spaghetti!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Canton, GA USA
    Posts
    384

    Default

    Dr. Laser...
    The "I might be wrong" was supposed to be humorous...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    1,354

    Default

    To note, the aforementioned laser-tech didn't spell the word out when he told me about collimators. The spelling difference is a result of my guesswork.

    I think I'm going to start a new thread about this. My laser isn't broken, but this isn't exactly a discussion pertaining to the advancement of laser technology.

    Thanks for the advice so far.

    Here's the new thread:
    http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...0600#post50600


    -Jonathan

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •