Afocal beam expansion apparatus and method

Details Afocal beam expansion apparatus and method Afocal beam expansion apparatus and method

1986-04-04

1987-09-08

Henry, Jon W.

350622, 350486, 350 65, G02B 510, G02B 1706, G02B 2610

Patent

active

046919996

ABSTRACT:
An afocal beam expansion system and method is described which achieves the compactness of prior art refractive systems and yet avoids the use of refractive elements with their accompanying beam scattering, adsorption and temperature sensitivity. A pointing reflector is positioned in the beam path between an expansion reflector and a collimating reflector. The small diameter input beam is directed onto the expansion reflector, which causes it to diverge, reflects off the pointing reflector, and reaches the collimating reflector. The latter element collimates the beam and reflects it back to the pointing reflector, which points the beam along a desired output axis. The expansion, pointing and collimating reflectors are positioned relative to each other such that the beam axis is altered upon each reflection from each element. The pointing reflector may be implemented as a plano mirror, or alternately may comprise a convex reflective surface that cooperates with the collimating mirror to fully collimate the expanded beam. The invention is particularly applicable to airborne laser navigational radar terrain avoidance systems.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3917381 (1975-11-01), Feigih

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