Phase active diffractive optical method
US6404553B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 4, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 11, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 4, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03H2225/32
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for effecting the desired optical characteristics of an optical system (10) using phase diffractive optics. Incident light (Bi) is directed onto a surface (12i) of a material (12) whose index of refraction (n) is variable over the material. Passage of the incident light through the material effects the phase and amplitude of the light waveform. An optical map (Om) is determined for the surface of the material. This map comprises variations in the index of refraction over the material surface, and the map, in effect, represents any of a range of refractive and diffractive optical elements such as a mirror (1), a lens (2,3,6,7), or a diffraction grating (100). The map is dynamically written onto the material to map the material such that the incident light's passage through the material corresponds to the passage of the light through the optical element currently emulated by the material. As a result, emergent light (Be) from the material has similar amplitude and phase characteristics as if the incident light had passed through the desired optical element.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.