Optical apparatus for forming correlation spectrometers and optical processors
US5905571A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 30, 1995 |
| Grant date | May 18, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 30, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B26/0808
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Optical apparatus for forming correlation spectrometers and optical processors. The optical apparatus comprises one or more diffractive optical elements formed on a substrate for receiving light from a source and processing the incident light. The optical apparatus includes an addressing element for alternately addressing each diffractive optical element thereof to produce for one unit of time a first correlation with the incident light, and to produce for a different unit of time a second correlation with the incident light that is different from the first correlation. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the optical apparatus is in the form of a correlation spectrometer; and in other embodiments, the apparatus is in the form of an optical processor. In some embodiments, the optical apparatus comprises a plurality of diffractive optical elements on a common substrate for forming first and second gratings that alternately intercept the incident light for different units of time. In other embodiments, the optical apparatus includes an electrically-programmable diffraction grating that may be alternately switched between a plurality of grating states thereof for processing the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.