A pair of prisms can be designed into a much more compact package than a telescope using cylindrical optics.
The ability of adjusting the position of the prisms allows the user to compensate for variations from one light source to another.
The prisms are more cost effective than cylindrical lenses of comparable quality.
Description
Anamorphic prisms are used to change the dimension of a beam in one axis, the effect being analogous to that of a cylindrical lens.
These two prisms can expand or contract the beam in one direction without any changes in the other direction. By adjusting the angles among the incident beam and two prisms, the shape of the beam can be changed. It is very easy to turn elliptical bean into circular beam. If beam shaping is required, a system using a pair of anamorphic prisms has three significant benefits:
-- A pair of prisms can be designed into a much more compact package than a telescope using cylindrical optics.
-- The ability of adjusting the position of the prisms allows the user to compensate for variations from one light source to another.
-- The prisms are more cost effective than cylindrical lenses of comparable quality.
These prisms can be mounted in a cell which holds them in the correct proximity to each other for the magnification selected.
