Method and optical arrangement for beam guiding of a light beam with beam delay

US7321468B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss Laser Optics GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Alois Herkommer · Aalen, DE
• Holger Muenz · Aalen, DE
• Wolfgang Seifert · Wielenbach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 2004
• Grant date: Jan 22, 2008
• Expiry date: Mar 3, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/7055
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for beam guiding of a light beam generated by a light source to a target location along a path distance LS, comprises splitting the light beam on the path distance LS at least once into a first partial beam and a second partial beam, guiding the first partial beam additionally at least once along a delay line, the first partial beam thereby covering an additional path distance LD, guiding the second partial beam only along the path distance LS, combining the first and second partial beams after the first partial beam having passed through the delay line and guiding the combined beam to the target location, wherein the light beam is guided along the path distance LS and LD in such a way that the light beam generated by the light source has a predetermined beam width B at the target location, expanding the light beam between the light source and the target location at least once to a beam width B′>B and comprising the light beam again at least once in such a way that the light beam has the predetermined beam width B at the target location.