US 5,400,038 A · High signal to noise ratio optical signal processing system

Abstract

An optical signal processing system includes a number of optical time delay units to generate differentially time-delayed optical signals. Each optical time delay unit includes at least an in put polarizing beam splitter (PBS) system having an input system Thompson prism and an output PBS system including an output Thompson prism. Each Thompson prism has a high extinction ratio and is positioned to act as a polarizing beam splitter, providing a high signal to noise ratio optical signal processing system. Selectively polarized light beams are deflected by the polarizing beam splitters onto predetermined paths that cause the respective light beams to be differentially time delayed dependent on the path that they follow through the optical signal processing system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An optical time delay unit comprising:

a delay assembly;
an input polarizing beam splitter (PBS) system disposed to receive incident light beams and direct respective ones of said beams along a respective delay path or a respective direct path dependent on the polarization of the respective light beams;
said input PBS system including at least one input system Thompson prism and means for optically coupling said input PBS system to said delay assembly;
and
an output PBS system disposed to receive light beams passing along respective ones of said delay paths and respective ones of said direct paths, said output PBS system including at least one output system Thompson prism and means for optically coupling said output PBS system to said delay assembly,
said input PBS system and said output PBS system being optically coupled together such that light beams pass therebetween along respective ones of said direct paths.

3 more elements

An optical signal processing system comprising:

an input pixel array having a predetermined input array pattern;
an output pixel array having a predetermined output array pattern, said output army pattern corresponding to said input array pattern;
and
an optical time delay unit disposed to optically couple said input pixel array to said output pixel array so that light beams passing from predetermined ones of the pixels in said input pixel army will enter corresponding ones of the pixels in said output pixel array, whereby each of said light beams will pass along a respective delay path or a respective direct path in said optical time delay unit dependent on the polarization of the light beam;
said optical time delay unit comprising an input polarizing beam splitter (PBS) system having at least one input Thompson prism, an output PBS system having at least one output Thompson prism, and means for optically coupling said at least one input Thompson prism to said delay assembly.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High signal to noise ratio optical signal processing system

Life of this patent

High signal to noise ratio optical signal processing system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20