Additive manufacturing systems and related methods utilizing risley prism beam steering
Additive manufacturing systems and related methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, an additive manufacturing system includes a build surface, one or more laser energy sources configured to emit laser energy, an optical phased array operatively coupled to the one or more laser energy sources, and a Risley prism assembly comprising a plurality of wedge prisms. The optical phased array includes one or more phase shifters operatively coupled to the one or more laser energy sources and configured to control a phase of the laser energy. The optical phased array is configured to direct the laser energy towards the Risley prism assembly, and the Risley prism assembly is configured to direct the laser energy towards the build surface.
1 . A method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
emitting laser energy from a plurality of laser energy sources;
controlling, using an optical phased array, a phase of the laser energy emitted by each one of the plurality of laser energy sources to control a shape of at least one laser beam directed onto a build surface, wherein the optical phased array comprises a plurality of phase shifters optically coupled to the plurality of laser energy sources; and
adjusting a position of the at least one laser beam on the build surface with one or more movable wedge prisms.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the phase of the laser energy emitted by each of the plurality of laser energy sources and controlling the phase of the laser energy emitted by each of the plurality of laser energy sources based at least partly on the detected phase of the laser energy emitted by each of the plurality of laser energy sources.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the phase of the laser energy emitted by each of the plurality of laser energy sources to scan the at least one laser beam along the build surface.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising scanning the at least one laser beam along the build surface at a speed of at least 10 m/s.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the position of the at least one laser beam on the build surface with the one or more movable wedge prisms includes rotating at least one of the one or more movable wedge prisms about an axis perpendicular to the build surface.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein rotating the at least one of the one or more movable wedge prisms includes rotating at least one wedge prism of at least one pair of wedge prisms of a Risley prism assembly.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein rotating the at least one wedge prism of the at least one pair of wedge prisms of the Risley prism assembly includes rotating at least one wedge prism of two pairs of wedge prisms of a dual Risley prism pair.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
controlling the phase of the laser energy comprises controlling at least one high frequency phase shifter to control the phase of the laser energy emitted by each one of the plurality of laser energy sources to control the shape of the at least one laser beam directed onto the build surface, the method further comprising:
directing the at least one laser beam from the at least one high frequency phase shifter toward the one or more movable wedge prisms, and wherein:
adjusting the position comprises rotating the one or more movable wedge prisms to adjust the position of the at least one laser beam on the build surface.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the position of the at least one laser beam on the build surface with the one or more movable wedge prisms comprises controlling a position of a first wedge prism relative to a second wedge prism to steer the position of the at least one laser beam directed onto the build surface.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the phase of the laser energy with the optical phased array and/or controlling an angular position of the one or more movable wedge prisms controls the position of one or more laser energy beams directed towards the build surface.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more movable wedge prisms is a planar wedge prism configured to direct wavefronts of the laser energy from the optical phased array in a single direction.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of phase shifters is associated with at least one of the plurality of laser energy sources, and wherein each of the plurality of phase shifters controls the phase of the laser energy emitted by its associated laser energy source.