Optical apparatus
AssigneeThales Holdings UK PLC
InventorsAndrew Borthwick, Stephen Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical apparatus comprises an optical resonator defining an optical resonator path for an optical resonator beam and an optical beam expander optically coupled to the optical resonator, the optical beam expander defining an optical beam expander path for an optical beam expander beam. The optical resonator path and the optical beam expander path may be configured such that the optical resonator beam and the optical beam expander beam at least partially intersect. Such an optical apparatus may be configured for use as a laser target designator or a laser range finder.
Claims21
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical resonator defining an optical resonator path for an optical resonator beam, the optical resonator being configured to emit an optical resonator output beam;
- and
- an optical beam expander for receiving the optical resonator output beam after emission of the optical resonator output beam from the optical resonator and for expanding the received optical resonator output beam so as to generate a divergent optical beam expander beam, the optical beam expander defining an optical beam expander path for the divergent optical beam expander beam,
- wherein the optical resonator path and the optical beam expander path are configured such that the optical resonator beam and the optical beam expander beam at least partially intersect.
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical resonator defining an optical resonator path for an optical resonator beam, the optical resonator configured to emit an optical resonator output beam;
- and
- an optical beam expander comprising an input optical arrangement which is optically coupled to an output of the optical resonator so as to receive the optical resonator output beam after emission of the optical resonator output beam from the output from the optical resonator,
- wherein the input optical arrangement of the optical beam expander is located within a space which is at least partially defined by the optical resonator path.
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical resonator defining an optical resonator path for an optical resonator beam, the optical resonator being configured to emit an optical resonator output beam;
- and
- an optical beam expander for receiving the optical resonator output beam after emission of the optical resonator output beam from the optical resonator and for expanding the received optical resonator output beam so as to generate a divergent optical beam expander beam, the optical beam expander defining an optical beam expander path for the divergent optical beam expander beam,
- wherein the optical resonator path and the optical beam expander path are configured such that the optical resonator beam and the optical beam expander beam at least partially intersect, and
- wherein the optical apparatus further comprises an optical coupling arrangement between the optical resonator and the optical beam expander for coupling light output from the optical resonator to the optical beam expander.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.