Optical: systems and elements – Collimating of light beam
Patent
1992-07-17
1994-05-03
Henry, Jon W.
Optical: systems and elements
Collimating of light beam
359503, G02B 2730, G02B 700, G02B 600
Patent
active
053092821
ABSTRACT:
A thermally and mechanically stable wavefront reference source which produces a collimated output laser beam. The output beam comprises substantially planar reference wavefronts which are useful for aligning and testing optical interferometers. The invention receives coherent radiation from an input optical fiber, directs a diverging input beam of the coherent radiation to a beam folding mirror (to produce a reflected diverging beam), and collimates the reflected diverging beam using a collimating lens. In a class of preferred embodiments, the invention includes a thermally and mechanically stable frame comprising rod members connected between a front end plate and a back end plate. The beam folding mirror is mounted on the back end plate, and the collimating lens mounted to the rods between the end plates. The end plates and rods are preferably made of thermally stable metal alloy. Preferably, the input optical fiber is a single mode fiber coupled to an input end of a second single mode optical fiber that is wound around a mandrel fixedly attached to the frame of the apparatus. The output end of the second fiber is cleaved so as to be optically flat, so that the input beam emerging therefrom is a nearly perfect diverging spherical wave.
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M. Feldman, D. J. Mockler, R. E. English, Jr., J. L. Byrd, and J. T. Salmon, "Self-referencing Mach-Zehnder Interferometer As A Laser System Diagnostic", Active and Adaptive Optical Systems, Mark A. Ealey, Editor, Proc. SPIE 1542, pp. 490-501 (1991).
Feldman Mark
Mockler Daniel J.
Gaither Roger S.
Henry Jon W.
Moser William R.
The United States of America as represented by the United States
Valdes Miguel A.
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