Flat top diffuser for laser application

1. An optical element comprising one or more micro-optic unit cells;

wherein each micro-optic unit cell is comprised of one or more lenslets;

wherein each lenslet has a boundary shape;

wherein the lenslets are configured in a regularly spaced micro-lens array (MLA);

wherein the lenslets are overwritten with randomly placed lenses (RPLs), which cover from greater than 0 percent to 99 percent of the MLA; and

wherein a light shaping diffuser pattern is added on top of the micro-optic unit cell.

2. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the boundary shape of the lenslet comprises a square, a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, a hexagon, a star, a cross, a logo, a generic geometrical shape, or a mixture thereof.

3. The optical element of claim 1 further comprising a collimated or partially collimated light source comprising coherent light source or an incoherent light source.

4. The optical element of claim 1 wherein an intensity or irradiance profile of the optical element comprises a flat top, a gradient, or a mixture thereof.

5. The optical element of claim 1 wherein a size of the micro-optic unit cell is based on lenslet size, beam size, source size, shape of the optical element, or a mixture thereof.

6. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the lenslet wraps around one or more edges of the micro-optic unit cell.

7. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the lenslet comprises a size with lateral dimensions in the range of about 10-500 micrometers.

8. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the micro-optic unit cell comprises a size with lateral dimensions in the range of about 0.1-500 millimeters.

9. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the optical element comprises a size with lateral dimensions in the range of about 0.1 millimeters to about 1 meter.

10. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the boundary of the lenslet is centered or not centered with respect to a center, a vertex or an optical axis of a source surface profile.

11. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the lenslets all have the same size and shape initially.

12. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the lenslets all have the same orientation (not rotated) with respect to each other.

13. The optical element of claim 1 wherein each lenslet comprises a portion of a Source Surface Profile (SSP); wherein a vertex of the SSP is shifted by a fixed or random amount in a plane of the MLA with respect to the lenslet boundary; wherein the lenslet boundary is fully filled with a portion of the SSP; wherein a vertex of the SSP is shifted with respect to the lenslet boundary for 0-100% of the lenslets; and wherein the lenslets comprise a same size.

14. The optical element of claim 1 wherein the MLA comprises an array of rectangular lenslets;

wherein the boundary of each lenslet has the same shape and size; wherein a surface of each lenslet is a portion of a same Source Surface Profile (SSP);

wherein a width of the SSP is at least twice as wide as a width of the boundary of the lenslet;

wherein a length of the SSP is at least twice as long as a length of the boundary of the lenslet;

wherein a position of a vertex of an SSP is varied with respect to a center of a boundary of the lenslet for 0-100% of the lenslets;

wherein a direction and amount that a position of a vertex of an SSP is varied with respect to a center of the boundary of the lenslet is random or controlled;

wherein the lenslet boundary is filled with a portion of the SSP; and

wherein a final surface of each lenslet comprises a portion of the SSP that is within the boundary of the lenslet.

15. The optical element of claim 1 wherein a grid used for aligning rows and columns of the MLA is randomized and varied as to a y dimension of each row and as to an x dimension of each column.

16. The optical element of claim 15 wherein an aspect ratio of each lenslet is the same; wherein a size of each lenslet is scaled in size such that the lenslet fills in its boundary of its row and column; wherein a ratio of a width of the lenslet to a height of the lenslet is constant; and wherein a ratio of a length of the lenslet to a height of the lenslet is constant.

17. The optical element of claim 15 wherein the lenslets comprise rectangles, parallelograms, rhombuses, or squares; and wherein a y dimension of each row is constant along a length of an entire row and an x dimension of each column is constant along an entire column.

18. The optical element of claim 1 wherein a tilt of an optical axis of 0-100% of the lenslets varies and is randomized for 0-100% of the lenslets.

19. The optical element of claim 15 wherein the lenslets are rectangles; wherein the y dimension of each row is constant along the entire row; wherein the y dimension of each row varies with respect to the y dimensions of the other rows; wherein the x dimension of each column is constant along the entre column; and wherein the s dimension of each column varies with respect to the x dimension of the other columns.

20. A method of making an optical element comprising a micro-optic unit cell comprised of multiple lenslets wherein the method comprises a process of randomization based on statistical uniform distribution functions of a partial or full area of the micro-optic unit cell and a process of digitally adding a pattern of a light shaping diffuser on top of the micro-optic unit cell.

21. The optical element of claim 1 wherein an intensity or irradiance profile of the optical element comprises a flat top.

22. The optical element of claim 1 wherein an intensity or irradiance profile of the optical element comprises a gradient.

23. The optical element of claim 1 further comprising a collimated or partially collimated light source comprising a coherent light source.

24. The optical element of claim 1 further comprising a collimated or partially collimated light source comprising an incoherent light source.

25. An optical element comprising one or more micro-optic unit cells;

wherein each micro-optic unit cell is comprised of one or more lenslets;

wherein each lenslet has a boundary shape;

wherein the lenslets are configured in a regularly spaced micro-lens array (MLA);

wherein the lenslets are overwritten with randomly placed lenses (RPLs), which cover from greater than 0 percent to 99 percent of the MLA;

wherein a light shaping diffuser pattern is added on top of the micro-optic unit cell; and

an incoherent light source, wherein an intensity or irradiance profile of the optical element comprises a flat top or a gradient when illuminated by the incoherent light source.

26. An optical element comprising one or more micro-optic unit cells;

wherein each micro-optic unit cell is comprised of one or more lenslets;

wherein each lenslet has a boundary shape;

wherein the lenslets are configured in a regularly spaced micro-lens array (MLA);

wherein the lenslets are overwritten with randomly placed lenses (RPLs), which cover from greater than 0 percent to 99 percent of the MLA;

wherein a light shaping diffuser pattern is added on top of the micro-optic unit cell; and

a coherent light source, wherein an intensity or irradiance profile of the optical element comprises a flat top or a gradient when illuminated by the coherent light source.

27. An optical element comprising one or more micro-optic unit cells;

wherein each micro-optic unit cell is comprised of one or more lenslets;

wherein each lenslet has a boundary shape;

wherein the lenslets are configured in a regularly spaced micro-lens array (MLA);

wherein the lenslets are overwritten with randomly placed lenses (RPLs), which cover from greater than 0 percent to 100 percent of the MLA; and

wherein a light shaping diffuser pattern is added on top of the micro-optic unit cell.