The application of diffractive optical elements in high power laser materials processing

In conventional laser material processing systems the energy distribution available at the work-piece is restricted to a focused spot. Such energy distributions are often not the most efficient or effective for many applications. This thesis proposes the utilisation of diffractive optical elements to shape high power laser beams into complex intensity distributions, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional laser systems. The research presented demonstrates, for the first time, how processing characteristics and efficiency can be significantly enhanced by tailoring the incident laser energy distribution to take into account the process being undertaken, the material and geometry of the work-piece. [Continues.]