Chromatic focal pencil beam-generating apparatus
US5610734A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 9, 1995 |
| Grant date | Mar 11, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 9, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B5/32
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical system is disclosed which focuses a polychromatic source to an extended focal pencil. The implementation makes use of two holographic optical elements (HOEs) fabricated and aligned to form a deliberate longitudinal color dispersion, but to alleviate lateral chromatic effects. Consequently, the HOE doublet focuses different wavelengths of the source to different locations along the optical axis. The strong intensity of the focused wavelengths dominate at each location, so that the overall beam has a near-diffraction-limited 1/e.sup.2 spot size and suffers only relatively weak background illumination. An alternative optical system using bulk lenses and several possible applications for the device are also described.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.