Performance Evaluation of an F-Theta Scanning Lens

F-Theta lenses are typically used in Galvo-scanner-based laser material processing systems. With such lenses, the displacement of the focused spot along the target plane is proportional to the product of the focal length of the lens and the scan angle. However, there is no perfect F-Theta system, therefore in any given system deviations from the ideal behavior are to be expected. With the help of the scanning source in the fast physical optics modeling and design software VirtualLab Fusion, we analyze the performance of a given F-Theta lens, by measuring the deviation between actual spot position and desired value for different angles.