Milo W Hyde IV
Air Force Institute of Technology, USA
Title: Laser beam shaping by manipulating spatial coherence
Biography
Biography: Milo W Hyde IV
Abstract
Existing in a state between coherent (e.g., lasers) and incoherent (e.g., incandescent) light sources, partially-coherent beams (PCBs) can be highly directional like a laser while also being resistant to scintillation or speckle. These characteristics make these beams attractive for use in applications such as free-space optical communications, directed energy, manufacturing, particle manipulation, medicine, and video projection. Considering their many potential uses, the study and especially synthesis of PCBs has become a very popular research subject. One of the most interesting developments to arise out of this work is the ability to precisely control beam shape by manipulating spatial coherence. The Air Force Institute of Technology working with New Mexico State University has been heavily involved in this research. We have developed several novel techniques to synthesize PCBs which yield beams of any desired shape. This presentation reviews this recent work in beam shaping using spatial coherence and discusses future research.