The AcoustoScan project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant number 01QE1954C), ran from 1 October 2019 to 31 March 2023. Its goal was to make the high optical performance of modern ultrashort‑pulse lasers accessible to end users by developing a fast, flexible beam‑steering system that can handle the very high repetition rates of contemporary laser sources. The project was led by the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) in cooperation with the industrial partner Femtika. The collaboration combined expertise in laser physics, optical engineering, and electronic control to deliver a complete, drop‑in replacement for conventional galvanometer scanners.

Technically, the core innovation was the integration of acousto‑optic deflectors (AODs) with a slower galvanometer scanner and an f‑Theta lens. AODs, driven by ultrasonic waves, can deflect individual laser pulses at rates up to 1 MHz, far exceeding the capabilities of mechanical scanners. In the laboratory prototype, the system was configured for a central wavelength of 1064 nm and targeted a deflection rate of 100 kHz, which is compatible with the physical limits of TeO₂ AODs and with existing industrial control protocols. The combination of AODs for fine, high‑speed steering and a galvanometer for larger‑area coverage allowed the system to maintain a small working volume while still providing a wide scan range. The f‑Theta lens enabled the system to compensate for geometric distortion that becomes significant with ultrashort pulses, ensuring accurate beam placement across the workpiece.

The electronic subsystem was designed modularly to support pulse‑synchronous steering. It could interface with standard industrial data sources for position and timing, making it adaptable to different machine architectures. The system’s architecture allowed the AODs to be configured as a drop‑in replacement for conventional scanners, simplifying integration into existing manufacturing lines. During the project, the electronics were iteratively refined to meet the timing constraints of high‑repetition‑rate operation, and the final design was successfully tested both in the LZH laboratory and in Femtika’s production machine.

Performance validation demonstrated that the integrated system could reliably steer laser pulses at the targeted 100 kHz rate while maintaining beam quality and positional accuracy. Although the design theoretically supports 1 MHz deflection with quartz AODs at 532 nm, this configuration was not incorporated into the final machine due to incompatibilities with the partner’s hardware. Nevertheless, the achieved performance represents a significant improvement over traditional galvanometer‑based steering, which is too slow to utilize the full pulse train of modern ultrafast lasers.

The project concluded with a demonstration meeting in Vilnius, where the functional prototype was presented to Femtika’s engineering team. The successful integration and validation of the system confirm its readiness for industrial deployment. The collaboration between LZH and Femtika combined academic research with practical engineering, ensuring that the developed technology meets both scientific rigor and market requirements. The project’s outcomes lay the groundwork for broader adoption of ultrafast laser processing in additive manufacturing and precision material machining, where reduced heat input and high repetition rates are essential.