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US 2012/0057241 A1Published application
Angular adjustable variable beamsplitter
AssigneeLightMachinery Inc.
InventorsJohn H. Hunter, Ian J. Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A beamsplitter includes a bifurcated frame, which rotates about a vertical axis, enabling the transmissive properties of an optical element, e.g. etalon, mounted on one arm of the frame, to be tuned as the angle of the optical element is rotated relative to an incoming optical beam. A mirror is mounted on the other arm of the frame intersecting light reflected from the optical element and redirecting the reflected light along a path, which is constant relative to the incoming optical beam.
Claims14
An optical beam splitter comprising:
- an input port for launching an input optical signal at a first wavelength along an input path;
- a frame rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the input path;
- a first arm extending from the frame;
- an etalon mounted on the first arm disposed in the input path at a first variable acute angle of incidence, whereby the input optical signal is split into a transmitted sub-beam, comprising a first portion of the input beam, passing through the etalon, and a reflected sub-beam, comprising a second portion of the input beam, reflected at a first variable angle of reflection from the etalon;
- a second arm extending from the frame;
- a mirror positioned on the second arm for receiving the reflected sub-beam at a second variable acute angle of incidence for reflecting the reflected beam at a second variable acute angle of reflection along an output path;
- a first output port for receiving the transmitted sub-beam;
- and
- a second port for receiving the reflected sub-beam;
- wherein rotation of the frame about the rotation axis changes the first variable acute angle of incidence, thereby enabling the first portion of the input beam to be adjusted to between 0% and 90% of the input beam, and the second portion of the input beam to be adjusted to between 10% and 100% of the input beam.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.