Effective pulse number and energy distribution uniformity in laser scanning with Gaussian and cylindrical beams

This study presents a method for calculating the effective pulse number and energy dose uniformity in pulsed laser scanning for surface irradiation. The analysis focuses on Gaussian and cylindrical beams, comparing their effects on surface uniformity and energy distribution. Using a polynomial decomposition approaches from Taylor series expansion and surface regression, derived closed-form solutions for the effective pulse number are proposed, leading to a uniformity index to quantify energy distribution across surfaces. The results demonstrate that a hexagonal irradiation grid provides as comparable surface uniformity of the deposited energy with the same effective pulse number compared to a square grid for both beam types. The proposed method enhances accuracy in predicting the effective pulse number in reasonable computing time, simplifying dose computation and optimizing laser surface treatment for industrial applications and research activities.