Modulating a working beam of an additive manufacturing machine with a solid-state optical modulator

US11874535B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Concept Laser, GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Maik Zimmermann · Lichtenfels, DE
• Florian Bechmann · Lichtenfels, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 26, 2021
• Grant date: Jan 16, 2024
• Expiry date: Sep 18, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/25
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

An irradiation device for an additively manufacturing apparatus may include a working beam generation device configured to provide a working beam, a modulation beam generation device configured to provide a modulation beam, and a solid-state optical modulator that includes a crystalline material that exhibits a change in refractive index in response to photoexcitation of free electrons within the crystalline material. The irradiation device may include a power source coupled to the solid-state optical modulator and configured to introduce free electrons into the crystalline material. The modulation beam may cause photoexcitation of the free electrons within the crystalline material. The photoexcitation of the free electrons within the crystalline material may cause the crystalline material to exhibit a change in refractive index. The working beam, when incident upon the crystalline material, may exhibit a change in one or more parameters, such as a phase shift, attributable at least in part to the change in refractive index exhibited by the crystalline material.