Wideband Diffraction Limited Optical Receiver
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Systems Corporation
InventorsJohn Edwin Jackson, Alan Richard Greenland, Christopher Brendan Svec
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for providing wideband diffraction limited performance in an optical receiver. A first lens is constructed from a first material and has a first surface and a second surface. A second lens is constructed from a second material and having a first surface and a second surface. The second lens is positioned such that a first surface of the second lens faces a second surface of the first lens across a gap of air. A diffraction grating is applied to one of the first and second surfaces of the first and second lenses.
Claims20
A doublet lens assembly comprising:
- a first lens made from a first material and having a first surface and a second surface;
- a second lens made from a second material and having a first surface and a second surface, the second lens being positioned such that a first surface of the second lens faces a second surface of the first lens across a gap of air;
- and
- a diffraction grating applied to one of the first and second surfaces of one of the first and second lenses.
A wideband diffraction limited receiver assembly that provides diffraction limited performance over a desired wavelength band, comprising:
- a first doublet lens assembly that focuses incident light, comprising;
- a first lens made from a first material and having a first surface and a second surface;
- a second lens made from a second material and having a first surface and a second surface, the second lens being positioned such that a first surface of the second lens faces a second surface of the first lens across a gap of air;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first and second surfaces of the first and second lenses is an aspherical surface with a diffraction grating;
- a second doublet lens assembly that receives light focused by the first doublet lens assembly and further focuses the received light;
- and
- an image detector that receives light focused by the second doublet lens assembly and converts the received light to a digital image.
A method for constructing a doublet lens assembly that provides chromatic correction in an optical receiver system as to provide diffraction limited performance over a desired band of wavelengths comprising:
- constructing a first lens from a first material;
- constructing a second lens from a second material;
- etching a diffraction grating onto a surface of one of the first lens and the second lens;
- and
- positioning the first lens and the second lens in a doublet lens arrangement with an air gap between the first lens and the second lens such that the etched surface containing the diffraction grating is adjacent to the air gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.