Abstract:
A reconfigurable compound diffraction grating is fabricated using microelectomechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The compound grating structure can be viewed as the superposition of two separately configured gratings. A common lower electrode is placed beneath selected beam elements, known as deflectable beams, to achieve the desired grating configuration (i.e. every other, every third, every fifth, etc.) of the beams in the primary grating. These deflectable beams alone comprise a secondary, lower resolution grating structure. The beam elements are linked to a common upper electrode. Voltage applied across the electrodes creates an electrostatic force that pulls the selected beams down toward the underlying electrode. Changing the vertical position of the selected beams with respect to the other stationary beams presents a different ruling spacing distribution to the incoming radiation. By changing this distribution, the diffracted power among individual diffraction orders of the wavelengths is altered. Controlling the diffracted signal in this way allows for specific diffraction passbands to be fixed on a particular detector or a particular area of a detector. Automated adjustments to the rulings can be very rapidly, which would significantly simplify and reduce the time necessary for complete spectral analysis previously achieved by mechanical movement of diffraction gratings.
Abstract:
The present invention is a scanning monochromator for producing a light beam which rapidly and repetitively varies in wavelength. The device is a subtractive double monochromator in which an intermediate slit is moved to effect wavelength scanning; the intermediate slit fitted in a rotating disk positioned at the intermediate focal plane of the monochromator. Two forms of the device are disclosed.
Abstract:
A monochromator of the Czerny-Turner type includes an entrance slit, a collimating mirror for receiving light output by the entrance slit, a planar grating for receiving light reflected by the collimating mirror, a focusing mirror for receiving light reflected by the grating, and an exit slit for receiving light focused by the focusing mirror. Light generally proceeds from the entrance slit to the collimating mirror, form the collimating mirror to the grating, from the grating to the focusing mirror and from the focusing mirror to the exit slit. The improvement comprises the use of a single toroidal collimating mirror in the system in combination with a spherical focusing mirror.
Abstract:
A plane grating, particularly for a monochronomator, is provided with varied-spaced straight and parallel grooves in a light beam path to compensate for other light affecting components, for example a spherical mirror used for collimating or focusing the light beam. The angle of incidence with respect to the light for each of the grooves may vary and the angle of diffraction with respect to the light for each groove may be required to vary with the imperfection of collimation and focusing of the beam. The grooves are varied in their spacing to compensate for the variation of both incidence and diffraction direction.
Abstract:
A spectral analyzer and direction indicator system (10) is disclosed and includes optical channels (20,30,40) for providing detected optical information indicative of incidence direction and spectral content of incident radiation. Each optical channel includes a reflector element (11,17,23) having a non-ruled section (11a,17a,23a) and a spectrally dispersing ruled section (11b,17b,23b); an analytical optical system (13,19,25); and a detector array (15,21,27). For each reflector element the non-ruled section is tilted in one or two directions relative to the ruled section. The disclosed spectral analyzer and direction indicator system is advantageously utilized as an aircraft based sensor in an aircraft landing system having ground lasers (29L,29R,33L,33R,37L,37R) directed into the landing approach path.
Abstract:
A spectral feature selection apparatus includes a dispersive optical element arranged to interact with a pulsed light beam; three or more refractive optical elements arranged in a path of the pulsed light beam between the dispersive optical element and a pulsed optical source; and one or more actuation systems, each actuation system associated with a refractive optical element and configured to rotate the associated refractive optical element to thereby adjust a spectral feature of the pulsed light beam. At least one of the actuation systems is a rapid actuation system that includes a rapid actuator configured to rotate its associated refractive optical element about a rotation axis. The rapid actuator includes a rotary stepper motor having a rotation shaft that rotates about a shaft axis that is parallel with the rotation axis of the associated refractive optical element.
Abstract:
A spectrometer is provided and includes a substrate including a transparent material, and a filter array disposed on a first surface of the substrate and including light filters configured to reflect first light. The spectrometer further includes a first light detector into which the first light reflected by the light filters enters, the first light detector being disposed on a second surface of the substrate.
Abstract:
A spectral feature selection apparatus includes a dispersive optical element arranged to interact with a pulsed light beam; three or more refractive optical elements arranged in a path of the pulsed light beam between the dispersive optical element and a pulsed optical source; and one or more actuation systems, each actuation system associated with a refractive optical element and configured to rotate the associated refractive optical element to thereby adjust a spectral feature of the pulsed light beam. At least one of the actuation systems is a rapid actuation system that includes a rapid actuator configured to rotate its associated refractive optical element about a rotation axis. The rapid actuator includes a rotary stepper motor having a rotation shaft that rotates about a shaft axis that is parallel with the rotation axis of the associated refractive optical element.
Abstract:
A spectral detector includes a grating panel including a first grating pattern having a first period, a second grating pattern having a second period that is different from the first period, and a light exit surface through light exits the grating panel, and an optical measurement panel arranged to face the light exit surface of the grating panel, and configured to measure a change in intensity of first light passing through the first grating pattern according to a propagation distance of the first light, and to measure a change in intensity of second light passing through the second grating pattern according to a propagation distance of the second light.