Anti-speckle
technology

A typical first evaluation system comprises a 5 mm diameter deformable mirror, mounted in a Thorlabs KCB1 kinematic enclosure for protection and ease of alignment, and a small electronic control module. No device configuration or software is required. Included with the evaluation system is our consultancy and support to help you achieve the best possible performance in your application.

Subsequent evaluation systems can be customized to meet your application requirements — matched to your laser power, beam diameter, wavelength, pulse duration, and more.

Production and supply of larger quantities can be undertaken by our manufacturing partner — a globally-recognized leader in optical coatings and components.

Currently supporting wavelengths from 193 nm to 10.6 µm, with reflection efficiency up to 99%, CW optical powers up to 100 W, and pulse lengths as short as 1 µs.

Both approaches generate sequences of uncorrelated speckle patterns which sum to a more homogeneous intensity over the exposure period. A diffuser must have a short correlation length of surface roughness so that it does not need to move at impractically high speed. The consequent diffraction into wide angles can greatly reduce optical efficiency. The deformable mirror has a continuous surface with relatively long correlation lengths. Its effect can be understood as narrow-angle temporally-randomized divergence. Randomly-distributed deformations in the continuous surface at very high temporal frequencies lead to the generation of many uncorrelated speckle patterns — for example, within a single one microsecond laser pulse.

The spot on the deformable mirror (from where the incident beam is reflected) can be imaged into the entrance face of a stationary multimode fiber with high coupling efficiency. Sequences of uncorrelated modal patterns are generated at the fiber exit face which sum to a more homogeneous intensity over the exposure period. Shaking fiber can achieve a similar effect but with lower temporal frequency, longer fiber length, higher N.A., larger core diameter — and the risk of fiber failure due to dynamic fatigue.

Our systems are currently being used by customers with wavelengths ranging from 193 nm to 10.6 µm (with reflection efficiency up to 99%, depending on coating), with CW optical powers up to 100 W, and pulse lengths as short as 1 µs.

Projection and holographic display, microscopy, interferometry, photolithography, metrology, sensor calibration, target illumination, and many more customer applications — in both free-space and fiber-coupled configurations.