Patent ID: 8164740

Claim:
A coherence remover, comprising: a first mirror; a second mirror coupled to the first mirror; a first polarizing beam splitter configured to receive an input beam and to pass the input beam having a first polarization such that the input beam is incident on the first and second mirrors, wherein the first and second mirrors comprise a first reflective surface normal to an axis of the input beam, wherein each of the first and second mirrors is configured to reflect a respective portion of the input beam to produce one or more respective first intermediate beams, and wherein the one or more respective first intermediate beams collectively form a first output beam that has a reduced coherence compared to the input beam; a first quarter wave plate configured to alter a polarization state of the first output beam, wherein the first polarizing beam splitter is configured to receive the altered first output beam having a second polarization and to reflect the altered first output beam; a third mirror, separate from the first and second coupled mirrors; a fourth mirror, coupled to the third mirror, a second polarizing beam splitter configured to receive the altered first output beam and to reflect the altered first output beam having the second polarization such that the altered first output beam is incident on the third and fourth mirrors, wherein the third and fourth mirrors comprise a second reflective surface normal to an axis of the altered first output beam, wherein each of the third and fourth mirrors is configured to reflect a respective portion of the altered first output beam to produce one or more respective second intermediate beams; wherein each of the first and second mirrors substantially extends in a first axis, whereby the first output beam has a reduced coherence compared to the input beam in the first axis, wherein each of the third and fourth mirrors substantially extends in a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, and wherein the one or more respective second intermediate beams collectively form a second output beam that has a reduced coherence compared to the first output beam in the second axis; and a second quarter wave plate configured to alter a polarization state of the second output beam, wherein the second polarizing beam splitter is configured to receive the altered second output beam having a third polarization and to pass the altered second output beam.