A laser illuminator emitting a circular profile of substantially uniform intensity is presented. The laser illuminator may include a heat sink configured to optically couple to a laser light source. The heat sink may include a beam dump cavity configured to absorb light from the laser light source, and a circularizer aperture having a cylindrical, flat-top opening and being configured to shape a portion of laser light emitted from the laser light source to exit the heat sink. The laser illuminator may also include a collimation lens configured to collect the light exited from the heat sink and provide a focused beam of light, and a scatter clean-up aperture optically coupled to the collimation lens. The scatter clean-up aperture may be configured to absorb scatter laser light rays, and provide from the focused beam of light an output beam of light comprising a circular profile of substantially uniform intensity.