Systems and methods of aberration correction in optical systems
AssigneeII-Vi Delaware, Inc.
InventorsLuke Stewart, Glenn Wayne Baxter, Steven James Frisken
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Abstract
Described herein is a diffraction grating (1) for use in an optical system. The diffraction grating includes a substrate (2) and an array of elongate diffracting elements (3) arranged in a grating profile across the substrate. The grating profile imparts a predefined phase change to optical beams to at least partially correct the beams for optical aberrations present in the optical system.
Claims22
A method of generating an aberration correcting phase profile for use in a multi-wavelength channel optical system comprising a plurality of individual wavelength channels, the method comprising:
- a) in a model of the multi-wavelength channel optical system comprising a plurality of individual wavelength channels, inserting a variable phase manipulating element at a first predetermined point in the multi-wavelength channel optical system, the variable phase manipulating element having a controllable phase profile;
- b) measuring properties of optical beams at a second predetermined point in the multi-wavelength channel optical system;
- and
- c) varying the phase profile of the variable phase manipulating element such that the measured optical beam properties substantially match predetermined reference optical beam properties.
A method of generating an aberration correcting phase profile for use in a wavelength selective switch, the method comprising:
- a) in a model of the wavelength selective switch, inserting a variable phase manipulating element at a first predetermined point wavelength selective switch, the variable phase manipulating element having a controllable phase profile;
- b) measuring properties of optical beams at a second predetermined point in the wavelength selective switch;
- and
- c) varying the phase profile of the variable phase manipulating element such that the measured optical beam properties substantially match predetermined reference beam properties.
A multi-wavelength optical switch comprising:
- a) at least one input optical port for projecting an input optical beam comprising a plurality of individual wavelength channels;
- b) at least one output optical port for projecting an output optical beam;
- c) switching optics for selectively switching the input optical beam along predetermined paths between the at least one optical input port and the at least one optical output port;
- and
- d) a diffractive device comprising a substrate and an array of diffraction elements physically written onto the substrate and having a spacing of adjacent diffraction elements, wherein each diffraction element comprises a curvature across the substrate, the array of diffraction elements being configured to:
- i) spatially separate the individual wavelength channels within the input optical beam;
- and
- ii) impose predefined phase changes to at least one of the plurality of individual wavelength channels to at least partially correct for optical aberrations to the input optical beam, an output from the diffractive device being the output optical beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.