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Spatial Light Modulator Spot Shaping
Shaping or splitting of a Gaussian beam is often desired to optimise laser–material interactions, improving throughput and quality. How to Shape Light with Spatial Light Modulators Structuring light is a ubiquitous laboratory tool, and computer-controlled devices such as spatial light modulators (SLMs) can reshape an input beam into almost any desired output beam., from coherent field mapping to diffusing ele-ments for incoherent light shaping. 1–5 Since the advent of the laser, structuring laser light in amplitude and phase has been achieved. Shaping light is done with a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM). For this project a novel two dimensional SLM was bought and implemented. Our SLMs consist of liquid crystal (LC) pixels, each independently addressed, acting as separate variable retarders. In this article, we will explore the.