Doughnut-Shaped and Top Hat Solar Laser Beams Numerical Analysis

Miguel Catela, Dawei Liang, Cláudia R. Vistas, Dário Garcia, Bruno D. Tibúrcio, Hugo Costa and Joana Almeida
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Miguel Catela: Center for Physics and Technological Research (CEFITEC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Dawei Liang: Center for Physics and Technological Research (CEFITEC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Cláudia R. Vistas: Center for Physics and Technological Research (CEFITEC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Dário Garcia: Center for Physics and Technological Research (CEFITEC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Bruno D. Tibúrcio: Center for Physics and Technological Research (CEFITEC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Hugo Costa: Center for Physics and Technological Research (CEFITEC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Joana Almeida: Center for Physics and Technological Research (CEFITEC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-18

Abstract: Aside from the industry-standard Gaussian intensity profile, top hat and non-conventional laser beam shapes, such as doughnut-shaped profile, are ever more required. The top hat laser beam profile is well-known for uniformly irradiating the target material, significantly reducing the heat-affected zones, typical of Gaussian laser irradiation, whereas the doughnut-shaped laser beam has attracted much interest for its use in trapping particles at the nanoscale and improving mechanical performance during laser-based 3D metal printing. Solar-pumped lasers can be a cost-effective and more sustainable alternative to accomplish these useful laser beam distributions. The sunlight was collected and concentrated by six primary Fresnel lenses, six folding mirror collectors, further compressed with six secondary fused silica concentrators, and symmetrically distributed by six twisted light guides around a 5.5 mm diameter, 35 mm length Nd:YAG rod inside a cylindrical cavity. A top hat laser beam profile (M x 2 = 1.25, M y 2 = 1.00) was computed through both ZEMAX ® and LASCAD ® analysis, with 9.4 W/m 2 TEM 00 mode laser power collection and 0.99% solar-to-TEM 00 mode power conversion efficiencies. By using a 5.8 mm laser rod diameter, a doughnut-shaped solar laser beam profile (M x 2 = 1.90, M y 2 = 1.00) was observed. The 9.8 W/m 2 TEM 00 mode laser power collection and 1.03% solar-to-TEM 00 mode power conversion efficiencies were also attained, corresponding to an increase of 2.2 and 1.9 times, respectively, compared to the state-of-the-art experimental records. As far as we know, the first numerical simulation of doughnut-shaped and top hat solar laser beam profiles is reported here, significantly contributing to the understanding of the formation of such beam profiles.

Keywords: solar laser; solar pumping; twisted light guide; Nd:YAG; top hat; doughnut-shaped (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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