Exploring the unlimited possibilities of modular aspheric Gauss to top-hat beam shaping

Abstract

Abstract Beam shaping is a field of research with growing importance. Therefore, a new refractive beam shaping system is presented. The knowledge gained from analyzing patent systems was used to derive our own improved design. It is compared to a patent system, and some selected results are presented in this work. Furthermore, possibilities to scale the entrance and exit beam diameters with the help of SPA™ Beam Expander Kit and SPA™ AspheriColl (both from asphericon GmbH, Jena, Germany) are shown, so that a modular top-hat generation is achievable. Additionally, the large spectral range in which the beam shaping system is applicable is demonstrated, and it is demonstrated how the beam shaping system can be used to improve the performance of other optical elements that require a top-hat beam profile.