Patent · US Expired

Apodized micro-lenses for Hartmann wavefront sensing and method for fabricating desired profiles

US6864043B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
12References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 30, 2003
Grant dateMar 8, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 30, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B27/58
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical element which controls both the phase and irradiance distribution, thereby completely specifying the E-field, of light, allowing completely arbitrary control of the light at any plane. Such an optical element includes a portion that controls the phase and a portion that controls the irradiance. The portion that controls the irradiance is an apodized irradiance mask having its transmission varying with position in a controlled fashion. This apodized irradiance mask is preferably a pattern of metal. In order to insure a smoothly varying pattern of metal with minimized diffraction effects, a very thin mask spaced from a substrate is used to provide the metal on the substrate. The apodized irradiance mask may be placed directly on the phase control portion, or may be on an opposite side of a substrate of the phase controlled portion.

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