OPTRA, Topsfield, Mass., has introduced compact Risley Prism pairs for fast steering laser beams to the laser machining market. Optimized closed loop bandwidth allows for high-speed continuous spiral scanning for point-to-point tracking and high-speed scanning.

Risley prism features include: aperture diameters up to 100 mm; beam deviations up to 60 degrees; rotational speeds up to 6000 RPM; UV to IR wavelength capability; optimized size, weight and power; standard computer interface, and precision mounting features.

Typical beam steering applications include: laser pointers and designators, obstacle avoidance systems, free space optical communications, laser micromachining, and laser trepanning.

Typical beam steerer specifications are: steering range is 120 degree full cone angle; pointing accuracy is 1.0 mrad; scan modes are spiral, circular, rosette, and step-and-stare; positioning resolution is 0.1 mrad; and data protocol is RS-232.