Designing free-form optics for high-quality Gaussian beam tailoring from diode lasers for Ti:Sa laser pumping

This paper discusses adapting the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm to design refractive free-form optical elements for custom beam tailoring, particularly to convert powerful diode laser outputs into high-quality Gaussian beams. A distinctive feature of the algorithm is its ability to design thin-profile optical elements (less than 5 wavelengths), manufacturable with high precision using industrial grayscale lithography. Experimental results are presented for transforming a 455 nm, 6 W diode laser beam into an efficient pump source for Ti:Sa lasers, demonstrating the algorithm’s potential to enhance diode laser applications in scientific and industrial settings.