Optical system including a weak lens and a beam translation plate for selectively coupling to the lowest order mode of an optical resonator
US7777886B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 21, 2007 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 16, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/39
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Improved optical alignment precision to a passive optical cavity is provided by including a combination of a weak focusing element and a translation plate in the input coupling optics. Adjustment of positions and angles of these optical elements, preferably after all other input optical elements are fixed in place, advantageously provides for high-precision optical alignment to the cavity, without requiring excessively tight fabrication tolerances. Fabrication tolerances are relaxed by making the optical power of the weak focusing element significantly less than the optical power of a strong focusing element in the input optics. The position and angles of the beam with respect to the cavity can be adjusted, as can the size of the beam at the cavity. Differential adjustment of the beam size in two orthogonal directions (e.g., tangential plane and sagittal plane) at the cavity can also be provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.