Patent ID: 8116342

Claim:
An attenuating device for attenuating a polarized laser beam, comprising a. at least one attenuating optic located along a polarized laser beam axis, where the polarized laser beam axis is defined as parallel to the propagation of the laser beam, b. the attenuating optic configured to transmit and to reflect portions of the polarized laser beam, and provide predetermined attenuation of the polarized laser beam by changing the ratio between transmission and reflection of the polarized laser beam as a function of the incidence of the polarized laser beam on one or more partially reflective surfaces of the attenuating optic, and c. the attenuating optic being rotatable about the polarized laser beam axis to control the incidence of the polarized laser beam on the one or more partially reflective surfaces of the attenuating optic, thereby to control the ratio between transmission and reflection of the polarized laser beam and provide a range of attenuation of the polarized laser beam.