MODULATING A WORKING BEAM OF AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINE WITH A SOLID-STATE OPTICAL MODULATOR

    公开(公告)号:EP4124401A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-02-01

    申请号:EP22176174.5

    申请日:2022-05-30

    摘要: An irradiation device (142) for an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional object (114), the irradiation device (142) comprising:
    a working beam generation device (200) configured to provide a working beam (206);
    a modulation beam generation device (202) configured to provide a modulation beam (208);
    a solid-state optical modulator (204) comprising a crystalline material (214) that exhibits a change in refractive index in response to photoexcitation of free electrons (216) within the crystalline material (214); and
    a power source (218) coupled to the solid-state optical modulator (204), the power source (218) configured to introduce free electrons (216) into the crystalline material (214);
    wherein the modulation beam (208), when incident upon the crystalline material (214), causes photoexcitation of the free electrons (216) within the crystalline material (214), and the photoexcitation of the free electrons (216) within the crystalline material (214) causes the crystalline material (214) to exhibit the change in refractive index; and
    wherein the working beam (206), when incident upon the crystalline material (214), undergoes a phase shift attributable at least in part to the change in refractive index exhibited by the crystalline material (214).