Autoalignment system for high power laser
US4146329A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 14, 1977 |
| Grant date | Mar 27, 1979 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 14, 1997 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/27
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for automatically aligning a high power laser. The optical train the high power laser includes an unstable resonator cavity, a two axis, gimballed turning mirror and a extraction mirror. The autoalignment system utilizes a HeNe laser to propagate an alignment beam coaxial with, and prealigned with, the high power beam. The reference beam traverses the same optical path as the main, high power beam, propagating through all of the relay optics of the laser train. This allows angular deviations in the pointing direction of the main beam to be inferred from the angularity of the reference beam. At the downstream end of the laser train, the extraction mirror functions as an optical interface, pointing the main beam in the preferred output direction and extracting the reference beam by means of a central passageway through the extraction mirror. The extracted reference beam is directed on a path incident to a null angle sensor. The angularity of the extracted reference beam is detected by the null angle sensor. Any angular displacement results in a corresponding error signal. The error signals are translated by alignment system servo electronics into correcting tilt adjustments …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.