Freeform optics design method for illumination and laser beam shaping enabled by least squares and surface optimization

Abstract

Freeform tailoring optics are core components in advanced illumination and laser technologies. In this work, we propose an efficient and streamlined optics design method to face the challenges in its implementation. We integrate ray-mapping least squares calculations with freeform surface optimization tools embedded in commercial optical design software. As a result, the complexity of freeform illumination and laser beam shaping design is significantly reduced by only adapting a built-in merit function. We demonstrate the feasibility of our approach through three design examples that provide tailored irradiance distributions. Furthermore, the results highlight the efficiency, simplicity and versatility of our approach that can be readily applied to multiple configurations.