Large-Scale Uniform Optical Focus Array Generation with a Phase Spatial Light Modulator

Uniform optical focus arrays are needed in a range of applications including multifocus multiphoton microscopy and multi-beam laser machining. Recently, such focus arrays were also developed as an essential tool for controlling ultra-cold atoms for quantum information processing. A challenge in these applications is to efficiently produce uniform large-scale optical focus arrays (LOFAs). Here, we present a new method for generating uniform LOFAs using a phase spatial light modulator. By identifying and removing undesired phase rotation in the iterative Fourier-transform algorithm, we demonstrate rapid and reliable generation of LOFAs containing O(10³) optical foci with > 98% intensity uniformity.