5AN-3-08

A circular beam profile may be preferred over the elliptical profile usually provided by laser diodes or by tapered amplifiers. Anamorphic Beam-shaping ­Optics act one-dimensionally on the profile of the colli­mated beam. They can be used to 

• Adjust the larger beam diameter to the dimension of the smaller one, producing a radially symmetric beam 
• Adjust the smaller beam diameter to the dimension of the larger one, producing a radially symmetric beam 
• Transform a circular beam into an elliptical beam 
• Enlarge one elliptical axis to produce a beam with a higher axis ratio

The Anamorphic Beam-shaping ­Optics type 5AN are cylinder lens systems and, therefore, can be additionally used to correct the astigmatic difference ∆As of the laser diode or tapered amplifier through a refocusing of the optical system. Coupling efficiencies to single-mode fibers of 80% or more are possible when using Anamorphic Beam-shaping ­Optics (depending on the beam characteristics of the laser diode or tapered amplifier).

Form Factor
The anamorphic effect is described by the form factor F, which ­indicates the relative diameter change of the parallel beam.
The target value is calculated from the ratio the beam diameters Ø⊥ and Ø|| of the ­collimated beam.