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Transforming Laser Material Processing: Digital Beam Shaping for High Power Lasers
Hamamatsu Photonics has been at the forefront of optical beam shaping for over three decades.[1] During this time, the company has developed Liquid Crystal on Silicon Spatial Light Modulators (LCOS-SLMs) into a robust and dependable beam shaping solution. Designed to enable dynamic digital beam shaping, these modulators open new avenues for efficiency and effectiveness, particularly in high-power laser applications.
Applications in Laser Material Processing
LCOS-SLMs provide a versatile and reliable means of digitally shaping laser beams. With a pixelated array that allows for precise control of light distribution, these modulators make it possible to perform complex 3D light structuring with both stability and reproducibility. The implications of this technology are significant, particularly in the realm of laser material processing, where highpower lasers can be harnessed in more efficient and dynamic ways.
These LCOS-SLMs contain a pixelated array (1280 x 1024) of electrodes whose drive voltage can be controlled independently to achieve a complex distribution of light reflected off their. surface. For understanding the working principle of LCOS-SLMs, readers are referred to these referenced sources.[2,3]
LCOS-SLMs from Hamamatsu Photonics have been utilized extensively in a wide range of applications, including multiple modalities of super-resolution microscopy and quantum computing. Other applications include laser marking, various types of 3D printing, laser material processing, and laser surgery. Several characteristics of LCOS-SLMs address different user needs. The wide wavelength support of Hamamatsu’s LCOS-SLMs is well known[4], and their high stability has been lauded.[5]
Laser Material Processing
This article focuses on the high-power laser tolerance of Hamamatsu’s LCOS-SLMs in the 1000-1100 nm window. Most material processing lasers operate in this spectral window. Laser material processing collectively refers to multiple applications, including marking, surface modification, welding, cutting, soldering, and 3D printing. In these applications, the conventional mode of operation is one spot at a time.
Hamamatsu's LCOS SLM X15213.
In other words, the laser is focused into a single place on the substrate being processed and moved in a pattern as defined by the requirement. It often involves either the movement of the substrate or raster scanning of the laser spot. This processing method has limitations.
Advantages of Digital Beam Shaping
With improvements in laser technology, highpower lasers have become more affordable. The excess laser power can be leveraged by splitting it into multiple beams to improve the throughput of laser material processing. Utilizing a similar, limited approach with static beam-shaping tools such as diffractive optical elements (DOEs), a fixed beam shape, or the distribution of beams in space and power becomes possible. This method is appealing because, while DOEs can handle high laser powers, they are constrained by their static beam-shaping nature.
Digital beam shaping with LCOS-SLMs, on the other hand, has clear advantages over static beam shaping elements because the former allows dynamic manipulation of beam shapes and power distribution, implementation of feedback control systems, and execution of a wider variety of tasks by simple programming. However, due to the low laser power tolerance of LCOS-SLMs, they were only used in low-power laser material processing applications.
Key Developments for High Laser Power Tolerance
The recent advancements made by Hamamatsu’s engineers in improving the laser power tolerance of LCOS-SLMs have made digital beam shaping a practical solution for high-throughput laser material processing.
The key functional components of LCOS-SLMs are the liquid crystals. High laser powers can cause heating of the liquid crystal molecules. Extreme high temperatures can irreversibly damage the liquid crystal layer, and mild temperature rises alter the optical properties (dispersion) of the liquid crystals. These, in turn, change the beam shaping.
Hamamatsu’s LCOS-SLMs have been designed to highlight utilization efficiency so that the residual laser power, which causes heating of the device, is minimized. Furthermore, an effective watercooling heat sink has been built into the device to keep the temperature of liquid crystals stable even when used with pulsed lasers with average powers up to 150 W[6]. Newer developments in thermal management of LCOS-SLMs include the use of Sapphire glass window, which has thirty times higher thermal conductivity than standard glass windows used for LCOS-SLMs. This new design allows bi-directional heat removal from liquid crystal layers and increases the continuous wave laser power tolerance to 750 W[7]. At these power levels, more demanding laser material processing applications like laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) with multiple point processing can be achieved[8]. Data from recent validations indicate a significant improvement in laser power tolerance in the next generation of Hamamatsu’s LCOS-SLM, allowing more laser material processing applications to take advantage of digital beam shaping solutions.
These advancements in LCOS-SLM technology provide a powerful and flexible solution for digital beam shaping. The enhanced laser power tolerance, innovative thermal management techniques, and the ability to dynamically manipulate beam shapes and power distribution enable more efficient and effective processing across a variety of applications. As the demand for high-throughput laser processing continues to grow, this cutting-edge technology positions itself as a crucial player in meeting these needs. Recent improvements, including the capability to operate at significantly higher powers and its compatibility with AI solutions, allow a wider range of complex laser material processing tasks to be achieved, easing the way for new opportunities in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and beyond.
Hamamatsu remains committed to pushing the boundaries of optical beam shaping, ensuring its customers have access to state-of-the-art technology that drives transformation and enhances productivity in their respective fields. Speak to Hamamatsu’s helpful laser specialists to hone your laser-driven projects.
References
[1] Optically-addressed type spatial light modulator, EP0583114A2 European Patent Office [Online]. Available: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0583114A2
[2] Hamamatsu Photonics, "What is LCOS-SLM?", Hamamatsu Photonics, [Online]. Available: https://lcos-slm.hamamatsu.com/eu/en/learn/about_lcos-slm.html [Accessed: 9 Sept 2025].
[3] Hamamatsu Photonics, "What is LCOS-SLM? Principle and Structure", Hamamatsu Photonics, [Online]. Available: https://lcos-slm.hamamatsu.com/eu/en/learn/about_lcos-slm/principle.html [Accessed: 9 Sept 2025].
[4] Hamamatsu Photonics, "LCOS-SLM X15213 series Technical Datasheet," Hamamatsu Photonics, [Online]. Available: https://LCOS-slm.hamamatsu.com/content/dam/hamamatsu-photonics/sites/documents/99_SALES_LIBRARY/lpd/x15213_E.pdf [Accessed: 9 Sept 2025].
[5] Hamamatsu Photonics, "LCOS-SLM characteristics, Phase fluctuations", Hamamatsu Photonics, [Online]. Available: https://LCOS-slm.hamamatsu.com/eu/en/learn/technical_information/characteristics/phase-fluctuation.html [Accessed: 9 Sept 2025].
[6] Fraunhofer, “New Spatial Light Modulator for dynamic beam shaping in industrial high-power USP processes", Press Release / September 05, 2022, [Online]. Available: https://www.ilt.fraunhofer.de/en/press/press-releases/2022/9-5-hamamatsu-slm-joint-application-lab.html [Accessed: 9 Sept 2025].
[7] Hamamatsu Photonics, "Hamamatsu Photonics has developed an LCOS-SLM with the world’s highest power handling capability that will streamline production of laser metal machining" [Online]. Available: https://www.hamamatsu.com/eu/en/news/products-and-technologies/2023/20230620000000.html [Accessed: 9 Sept 2025].
[8] Fraunhofer, “Flexible beam-shaping platform optimizes LPBF processes”, Press Release, November 06, 2024 2, [Online]. Available: https://www.ilt.fraunhofer.de/en/press/press-releases/2024/11-7-beamshaping-platform-optimises-lpbf-processes.html [Accessed: 9 Sept 2025].
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