Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT
Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT

Technology Focus Optical Systems

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Optical Systems

In “Optical Systems,” Fraunhofer ILT focuses on providing its partners with considerable expertise in beam shaping and beam guiding, frequency conversion as well as in design, layout and packaging of optical components.

Commercial and self-developed software tools are used to design or optimize optics. With special algorithms, Fraunhofer ILT designs optical free-form surfaces so that the industry can manufacture them later with laser-based processes. Modern diffractive or refractive optical elements, for example, can bring light into almost any shape by means of adapted diffraction structures. Complex beam profiles or patterns can be realized as well as a distribution of the energy of a beam to a whole array of similar partial beams. Integrated into new laser systems, the optical systems Fraunhofer ILT develops enable increased productivity compared to conventional techniques, even in precision manufacturing on the micrometer scale.

Fraunhofer ILT is developing scanners that can deflect laser radiation very quickly and at high precision, and apply it specifically to workpieces. The institute either adapts commercially available scanners to specific applications or develops new systems for drilling, ablation, cutting, welding, additive manufacturing or metrological tasks.

Optical parametric oscillator realized by means of laser-based soldering technology.
© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany.
Optical parametric oscillator realized by means of laser-based soldering technology.
Model-based, self-optimizing assembly of optical systems.
© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany.
Model-based, self-optimizing assembly of optical systems.

With tunable lasers, parametric beam sources and nonlinear frequency converters, Fraunhofer ILT has already developed solutions for a wide range of specific tasks. Its beam sources cover average powers from a few milliwatts to many hundreds of watts, time regimes from ultrafast pulses to continuous operation, and spectral properties from ultra-wide spectra to single-frequency operation. When implementing new ideas or optimizing existing laser systems, the institute focuses on improving robustness, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Extreme requirements often have to be met for applications, e.g., in orbit, on ships or in arctic regions. Fraunhofer ILT designs the corresponding optical systems and components to be particularly resistant to vibration and temperature. It uses special laser soldering processes to make components suitable for space travel and assembly technology developed in house to make precise and safe assembly possible. Fraunhofer ILT is a recognized partner for laser-specific contract development in large European space missions. As part of the German-French climate research mission “MERLIN,” Fraunhofer ILT experts are developing a complex light detection and ranging system (LIDAR) for the satellite-based measurement of climate-relevant methane.

The application areas of the developed lasers and optical systems range from laser material processing and metrology to illumination applications and medical technology all the way to use in space, quantum technology and basic research.

Fraunhofer ILT has extensive know-how in the development of efficient beam sources as well as optical components and systems for customers from industry and research.

Find out more about our range of services on the websites linked in the blue box.

Selected Press Releases

More information on research and development at Fraunhofer ILT