Patent ID: 11858842
Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC C  G | IPC C  G

Claim 8:
9. An apparatus, comprising: a first length of fiber situated to receive an input optical beam, the first length of fiber having a first refractive index profile; a perturbation assembly coupled to the first length of fiber or integral with the first length of fiber; a memory storing a calibration table in which different beam characteristics are correlated with different fiber perturbation values, wherein the apparatus further comprises a second length of fiber having a second refractive index selected to maintain any selected beam characteristic from the beam characteristics; means for variably controlling delivery of a laser to a workpiece, the variable controlling means arranged to generate a control signal to send to the perturbation assembly, the generated control signal 1) based on information about a demanded laser attribute for the delivery of the laser to the workpiece and 2) corresponding to a bend amount from a set of two or more predefined bend amounts, wherein the variably controlling means is further configured to perform a look-up from the calibration table based on the information about the demanded laser attribute, wherein the control signal is generated based on the look-up from the calibration table; wherein the perturbation assembly is configured to modulate a displacement applied to the first length of fiber based on the generated control signal; the second length of fiber situated to receive a modified optical beam generated by operation of the perturbation assembly based on the generated control signal, the second length of fiber having a second refractive index profile selected to maintain at least one beam characteristic of the modified optical beam.