D-shape laser beam projector
AssigneeNational Research Council of Canada
InventorIan Powell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical lens is useful as a D-shape laser beam projector. The lens consists of a known linear diverging element enabling the expansion of a laser beam into an uniform line, and a matching section of an axicon, either a symmetrical half-axicon or a non-symmetrical one, cut in a plane passing through, or nearly through, its apex. The two components, joined together in a plane of cutting of the axicon section, are positioned in a laser beam such that the beam is incident on both apices of the linear diverging element and the axicon section.
Claims16
An optical lens comprising
- a linear diverging element having a primary surface, a secondary surface and a side surface,
- a section of an axicon cut in a plane passing through its apex or near thereof, said section having a primary surface, a secondary surface and a cut surface and connected with said linear diverging element, said cut surface of said axicon adjoining said side surface of said linear diverging element,
- wherein said primary surface of said linear diverging element has a shape described by the equation ##EQU5## where c is the curvature at the apex, Q is the conic constant, and the surface is defined in an (x, y, z) Cartesian coordinate system, the conic constant having a negative value,
- and the primary surface of said axicon has a surface shape described by the equation ##EQU6## where Q is the conic constant and .rho. (rho) is the semi-diameter.
A laser beam projector for expanding a laser beam into a shape resembling the letter D, comprising
- a source of said laser beam, and
- an optical lens comprising
- a linear diverging element having a primary surface, a secondary surface and a side surface, and a section of an axicon cut in a plane passing through its apex or near thereof, said section having a primary surface, a secondary surface and a cut surface and connected with said linear diverging element, said cut surface of said axicon adjoining said side surface of said linear diverging element,
- wherein said primary surface of said linear diverging element has a shape described by the equation ##EQU7## where c is the curvature at the apex, Q is the conic constant and the surface is defined in an (x, y, z) Cartesian coordinate system, said conic constant having a negative value,
- and the primary surface of the half-axicon has a surface shape described by the equation ##EQU8## where Q is the conic constant and .rho. (rho) is the semi-diameter, said optical lens being located relative to said source such that, in operation, said beam is incident on both the apex of said linear diverging element and the apex of said half-axicon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.