ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a diffraction-based method for converting single-mode Gaussian beams into beams with uniform irradiance profiles. The design is based on a Fourier transform relation between the input and output beam functions. This solution can be obtained using geometrical optics methods. However, the diffraction approach introduces a parameter that contains the product of the widths of the input and output beams. This parameter is a significant part of the physical optics solution. The efficacy of the solution is shown to depend on this parameter. The quality of the solution improves asymptotically with increasing value of the parameter.
