Beam combining grating with integrated apodizer
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsBradley A. Mitchell, Hannan S. Orrell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes an optical surface configured to receive multiple input optical beams. The optical surface includes a grating configured to diffract first portions of the input optical beams in a first direction to form a combined optical beam. The grating is also configured to reflect second portions of the input optical beams in a second direction. The optical surface also includes a reflective surface at least partially surrounding the grating. The reflective surface is configured to reflect third portions of the input optical beams in the second direction.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- an optical surface configured to receive multiple input optical beams, the optical surface comprising:
- a grating configured to diffract first portions of the input optical beams in a first direction to form a combined optical beam exclusively in the first direction, the grating also configured to reflect second portions of the input optical beams in a second direction, the first and second directions extending away from a common side of the optical surface;
- and
- a reflective surface at least partially surrounding the grating, the reflective surface configured to function as an apodizer to remove one or more unwanted portions of the input optical beams from the combined optical beam and to reflect third portions of the input optical beams in the second direction.
A system comprising:
- an optical device comprising an optical surface configured to receive multiple input optical beams, the optical surface comprising:
- a grating configured to diffract first portions of the input optical beams in a first direction to form a combined optical beam exclusively in the first direction, the grating also configured to reflect second portions of the input optical beams in a second direction, the first and second directions extending away from a common side of the optical surface;
- and
- a reflective surface at least partially surrounding the grating, the reflective surface configured to function as an apodizer to remove one or more unwanted portions of the input optical beams from the combined optical beam and to reflect third portions of the input optical beams in the second direction;
- and
- a beam dump configured to terminate the second and third portions of the input optical beams.
A method comprising:
- receiving multiple input optical beams arriving at different angles at an optical surface;
- using a grating of the optical surface, diffracting first portions of the input optical beams in a first direction to form a combined optical beam exclusively in the first direction and reflecting second portions of the input optical beams in a second direction, the first and second directions extending away from a common side of the optical surface;
- and
- using a reflective surface of the optical surface that at least partially surrounds the grating and that is configured to function as an apodizer, removing one or more unwanted portions of the input optical beams from the combined optical beam and reflecting third portions of the input optical beams in the second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.