High speed light valve system
An additive manufacturing system includes a high power laser to form a high fluence laser beam. A 2D patternable light valve having a structure responsive to electron emission is positioned to receive and pattern light received from the high power laser.
1 . An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a first light source configured to generate a first laser write beam with a first fluence;
a second light source generating a second laser read beam having a second fluence greater than the first laser write beam;
a first 2D patternable light valve configured to have a transmittivity thereof patterned by the first laser write beam;
a third light source generating a third laser write beam with a third fluence less than the second fluence;
a second 2D patternable light valve configured to have a transmittivity thereof patterned by the third laser write beam, the first 2D patternable light valve and second 2D patternable light valve configured to transmit the second laser read beam to produce a patterned laser beam;
an intermediate layer group positioned between the first 2D patternable light valve and the second 2D patternable light valve, the intermediate layer group including, in order, a first alignment layer interfacing with the first 2D patternable light valve, a first transparent conductive oxide layer, a support layer, a second transparent conductive oxide layer, and a second alignment layer interfacing with the second 2D patternable light valve; and
a print chamber performing printing using the patterned laser beam.
2 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second 2D patternable light valves directs unpatterned light into at least one of a beam dump or switchyard system.
3 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first 2D patternable light valve includes a first photoconductor layer and a first linear electro-optic layer;
the second 2D patternable light valve includes a second photoconductive layer and a second linear electro-optic layer;
the first photoconductor layer is configured to change in resistance to mirror an intensity pattern of the first laser write beam and create a corresponding first patterned electric field at the first linear electro-optic layer, the first patterned electric field causing a corresponding change in birefringence of the first linear electro-optic layer;
the second photoconductor layer is configured to change in resistance to mirror an intensity pattern of the third laser write beam and create a corresponding second patterned electric field at the second linear electro-optic layer, the second patterned electric field causing a corresponding change in birefringence of the second linear electro-optic layer; and
the corresponding change in birefringence of the first and second linear electro-optic layers is configured to produce the patterned laser beam from the second laser read beam.
4 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the first laser write beam is incident on the first 2D patternable light valve in a first direction and the third laser write beam is incident on the second patternable light valve in a second direction opposite the first direction.
5 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising a beam pattern separator configured to allow a desired pattern of the second laser read beam to be re-imaged into the print chamber while an unwanted pattern of the second laser read beam is sent to a beam dump or switchyard system.