Laser thermal efficiency increase by means of fast acousto-optic beam scanning

Applicability of the acousto-optic method for raising the time-averaged thermal efficiency of laser radiation is substantiated theoretically and confirmed experimentally. The effect produced by laser radiation on materials being processed (laser cutting, welding, engraving, etc.) has a threshold in light intensity. Importantly, a beam with the most frequently used normal (Gaussian) angular distribution of intensity is not optimal from the technological viewpoint. A method proposed for its optimization is based on acousto-optic refraction, i.e., fast nonlinear scanning of the initial beam around its central position, which improves (at certain values of the parameters) the time-averaged angular distribution of the beam intensity. In the experiment, the thermal efficiency of laser radiation is raised by several times.