Multi-spectral polarimetric variable optical device and imager
OwnerIbrahim Abdulhaliminventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system is described that combines spectropolarimetry with scatterometry. The system uses an annular mirror and liquid crystal devices to control the angle of the incident light cone, the polarization and wavelength, an imaging setup and one or more video cameras so that spectroseopic-polarimetric-scatterometric images can be grabbed rapidly. The system is also designed to incorporate additional imaging modes such as interference, phase contrast, fluorescence and Raman spectropolarimetric imaging.
Claims11
A multi-spectral polarimetric variable optical device comprising a liquid crystal aperture tuning unit (LCTA), at least one liquid crystal polarization controller (LCPC) unit, and one of a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) unit or a liquid crystal spectral modulation (LCSM) unit, the multi-spectral polarimetric variable optical device configurable as a multi-spectral polarimetric imaging system and comprising the following elements:
- a) a light source;
- b) an aperture stop in front of the light source;
- c) a LCTA unit located immediately in front of the aperture stop;
- d) a first lens in front of the LCTA unit;
- e) a polarizer in front of the first lens;
- f) an LCTF unit or LCSM unit in front of the polarizer;
- g) a field stop immediately in front of the LCTF unit;
- h) a first LCPC unit immediately in front of the field stop;
- i) a second lens in front of the first LCPC unit;
- j) an annular mirror oriented at 45 degrees to the light from the light source that passes through elements “b” to “i”;
- k) a light trap that absorbs light from the light source that passes through the open center of the annular mirror;
- l) an objective lens that receives light reflected by the annular mirror;
- m) a window through which light focused by the objective lens passes;
- n) a sample on which the objective lens focuses the light;
- o) a second LCPC unit, which receives light that is reflected by or scattered from the surface of the sample and passes through the window, the objective lens, and the open center of the annular mirror;
- p) an analyzer in front of the second LCPC unit;
- q) a third lens in front of the analyzer;
- and
- r) a digital camera onto which the third lens focuses the light reflected or scattered from the surface of the sample, said camera is capable of zooming to vary magnification.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.