Compact closed-loop bypass optical beam sensing and correction
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsJason R. Lavine, Liam T. Skoyles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes an optical device configured to spatially separate a first optical beam and a second optical beam. The apparatus also includes a divergence controller configured to adjust a divergence of the second optical beam and a steering controller configured to adjust a steering direction of the second optical beam. The apparatus further includes a far field sensor configured to receive a sample of the second optical beam after adjustment of the divergence and the steering direction of the second optical beam and generate measurements of the sample. In addition, the apparatus includes at least one controller configured to control the divergence controller and the steering controller based on the measurements of the sample.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- an optical device configured to spatially separate a first optical beam and a second optical beam;
- a bypass optical beam sensing and correction unit configured to receive the second optical beam after the spatial separation, the bypass optical beam sensing and correction unit comprising:
- a divergence controller configured to adjust a divergence of the second optical beam;
- a steering controller configured to adjust a steering direction of the second optical beam;
- a far field sensor configured to receive a sample of the second optical beam after adjustment of the divergence and the steering direction of the second optical beam and generate measurements of the sample;
- and
- at least one controller configured to control the divergence controller and the steering controller based on the measurements of the sample.
A system comprising:
- multiple optical sources configured to generate multiple input optical beams, the multiple input optical beams including two or more optical beams and an additional optical beam;
- a beam combiner configured to combine the two or more optical beams in order to generate a combined optical beam;
- an optical device configured to spatially separate the combined optical beam and the additional optical beam;
- a bypass optical beam sensing and correction unit configured to receive the additional optical beam after the spatial separation, the bypass optical beam sensing and correction unit comprising:
- a divergence controller configured to adjust a divergence of the additional optical beam;
- a steering controller configured to adjust a steering direction of the additional optical beam;
- a far field sensor configured to receive a sample of the additional optical beam after adjustment of the divergence and the steering direction of the additional optical beam and generate measurements of the sample;
- and
- at least one controller configured to control the divergence controller and the steering controller based on the measurements of the sample.
A method comprising:
- generating multiple input optical beams, the multiple input optical beams including two or more optical beams and an additional optical beam;
- combining the two or more optical beams in order to generate a combined optical beam;
- spatially separating the combined optical beam and the additional optical beam;
- after spatially separating the combined optical beam and the additional optical beam, controlling a divergence of the additional optical beam;
- after spatially separating the combined optical beam and the additional optical beam, controlling a steering direction of the additional optical beam;
- receiving a sample of the additional optical beam after controlling of the divergence and the steering direction of the additional optical beam and generating measurements of the sample;
- and
- adjusting the controlling of the divergence and the controlling of the steering direction of the additional optical beam based on the measurements of the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.