A beam homogenizer is a device that smoothes out the irregularities in a laser beam profile to create a more uniform one. Most beam homogenizers use a multifaceted mirror with square facets. The mirror reflects light at different angles to create a beam with uniform power across the whole beam profile (a "top hat" profile). Some applications of beam homogenizers include their use with excimer lasers for making computer chips and with [[CO2 laser|Шаблон:CO2 lasers]] for heat treating.
Most lasers produce a Gaussian beam energy distribution. A beam homogenizer will create an evenly distributed energy of the beam instead of the Gaussian shape. Unlike a beam shaper, which imparts a certain shape to the beam, a beam homogenizer spreads out the central concentrated energy of the beam among the entire beam diameter.
A simple beam homogenizer can be just a murky piece of glass. However, this is a very simple solution with low efficiency, producing a blurry beam. For most applications/uses, advanced methods of beam homogenizing are required such as diffractive beam homogenizers or using a micro lens array (MLA).
