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US 12,631,488 B2Granted
Wide wavelength optical detection system
AssigneeAttollo Engineering, LLC
InventorsJonathan Geske, Timothy A. Strand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical detection system includes a diffractive optical element (DOE) configured to receive incident light and a detector. The DOE causes incident light at a first wavelength to generate a first diffraction pattern and incident light at a second wavelength different than the first wavelength to generate a second diffraction pattern distinguishable from the first diffraction pattern, wherein the detector detects light diffracted by the DOE.
Claims19
An optical detection system comprising:
- a diffractive optical element that causes incident light at a first wavelength to generate a first diffraction pattern defined by a first propagation vector, and causes incident light at a second wavelength different than the first wavelength to generate a second diffraction pattern defined by a second propagation vector, wherein the first propagation vector is non-parallel with the second propagation vector such that the first diffraction pattern is non-overlapping with the second diffraction pattern;
- and
- a single detector configured to detect light diffracted by the diffractive optical element into the first diffraction pattern and the second diffraction pattern.
A method of detecting and distinguishing light over a wide range of wavelengths, the method comprising:
- receiving incident light at a diffractive optical element (DOE) that diffracts the incident light, wherein incident light at a first wavelength interacts with the DOE to generate a first diffraction pattern defined by a first propagation vector and incident light at a second wavelength interacts with the DOE to generate a second diffraction pattern defined by a second propagation vector, wherein the first propagation vector is non-parallel with the second propagation vector such that the first diffraction pattern is non-overlapping with the second diffraction pattern;
- and
- detecting at a single focal plane array (FPA) light diffracted by the DOE.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.