High stability wavefront reference source
US5309282A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 17, 1992 |
| Grant date | May 3, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 17, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B27/30
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A thermally and mechanically stable wavefront reference source which produces a collimated output laser beam. The output beam comprises substantially planar reference wavefronts which are useful for aligning and testing optical interferometers. The invention receives coherent radiation from an input optical fiber, directs a diverging input beam of the coherent radiation to a beam folding mirror (to produce a reflected diverging beam), and collimates the reflected diverging beam using a collimating lens. In a class of preferred embodiments, the invention includes a thermally and mechanically stable frame comprising rod members connected between a front end plate and a back end plate. The beam folding mirror is mounted on the back end plate, and the collimating lens mounted to the rods between the end plates. The end plates and rods are preferably made of thermally stable metal alloy. Preferably, the input optical fiber is a single mode fiber coupled to an input end of a second single mode optical fiber that is wound around a mandrel fixedly attached to the frame of the apparatus. The output end of the second fiber is cleaved so as to be optically flat, so that the input beam emergin…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.