Patent · US Expired

Laser beam pulse formatting method

US5337333A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
6References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 10, 1992
Grant dateAug 9, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 10, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S372/70
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for formatting a laser beam pulse (20) using one or more delay loops (10). The delay loops (10) have a partially reflective beam splitter (12) and a plurality of highly reflective mirrors (14) arranged such that the laser beam pulse (20) enters into the delay loop (10) through the beam splitter (12) and circulates therein along a delay loop length (24) defined by the mirrors (14). As the laser beam pulse (20) circulates within the delay loop (10) a portion thereof is emitted upon each completed circuit when the laser beam pulse (20) strikes the beam splitter (12). The laser beam pulse (20) is thereby formatted into a plurality of sub-pulses (50, 52, 54 and 56). The delay loops (10) are used in combination to produce complex waveforms by combining the sub-pulses (50, 52, 54 and 56) using additive waveform synthesis.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.