Introduction

Beam shaping is the process of redistributing the irradiance and phase of a beam of optical radiation. The beam shape is defined by the irradiance distribution. The phase of the shaped beam is a major factor in determining the propagation properties of the beam profile. For example, a reasonably large beam with a uniform phase front will maintain its shape over a considerable propagation distance. Beam shaping technology can be applied to both coherent and incoherent beams.