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US 4,397,525 AGranted
Device for dividing a laser beam
AssigneeInstitutet for Optisk
InventorHans O. S. Ahlen
Life of this patent
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AssigneeInstitutet for Optisk
InventorHans O. S. Ahlen
Estimating the term…
A device for dividing a laser beam, e.g. into parallel equidistant beams includes a glass plate with two opposing planer, parallel surfaces. A transmission grating is arranged on one glass surface. A reflecting layer is applied over the grating, and an opening is arranged in the layer at half the length of the plate, for taking the beam, which is to be divided, to and through the grating. The laser wavelength and the grating line density are selected to give total reflection at the free surface of the glass for a beam diffracted at the opening of the grating. By altering the angle of incidence of the beam, the distance between the subdivided beams can be continuously varied within given limits. The device is also utilizable for combining a plurality of separate beams into a single beam. (FIG. 3).
Device for dividing a light beam into a plurality of beams, or for combining a plurality of beams into a beam, characterized by a transparent substrate with two planar parallel surfaces, a grating on one of the two said surfaces of the substrate, and a reflecting layer on the side of the grating facing away from the substrate a beam diffracted by the grating being arranged for total reflection at the other of the substrate's two said surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.