Patent · US Active

Optical time delay control device

US8995038B1 · kind B1 · utility

22Cited by
52References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 6, 2011
Grant dateMar 31, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 6, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F2201/20
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical time delay control device for controllably altering the transit time of an optical beam between two points. In one example, the device may include an optically transparent solid medium for receiving the optical beam, wherein at least a portion of the medium is generally a parallel piped shape characterized by a height, length and width, wherein the length is larger than the height; two mirrors affixed to two opposing parallel surfaces of the optically transparent solid medium, so that during operation the optical beam reflects between the two mirrors as the optical beam travels through the optically transparent medium; and an angle actuator for controllably altering the angle at which the optical beam enters into the optically transparent medium, thereby controllably altering the time that the optical beam travels through the device. This in effect permits control of the amount of delay of the transmission of light, and delays of 20 nanoseconds have been achieved.

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