Laser protective device
AssigneeAmerican Optical Corporation
InventorXiaohui Ning
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser sensor protector is provided comprising a nonlinear dynamic device which has a flat broad band reflectance covering the entire visible range in the on-state and allows for good optical quality and high transmittance (80-90) in the off-state. The device can be constructed using electro-optic materials or nonlinear optical materials. If electro-optical materials, i.e., those for which the refractive index can be controlled by an external field, or nonlinear optical materials, i.e, those for which the refractive index can be controlled by the light intensity, are used to construct the present invention, it is possible to achieve dynamic switching, that is, the device is clear in the off-state and it is highly reflective over a broad band in the on-state.
Claims16
Laser protective filter comprising:
- a plurality of layers in a stack defining a multilayer stack;
- switch means for dynamically switching between a transparent state wherein said stack is substantially transparent and a reflective state wherein said stack is substantially reflective over a broadband;
- the refractive index of said layers being substantially the same in said transparent state and the refractive index between adjacent layers being different in said reflective sate;
- and
- said layers each being of different optical thickness and said layers of different thickness being randomly arranged with the number of said layers being selected so as to make said multilayer stack function as a broadband reflector in said reflective state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.