Optical wavelength demultiplexer
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsBrian E. Lemoff, Lewis B. Aronson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A demultiplexer includes a unitary optically transparent structure that utilizes focusing relay mirrors to relay a multi-wavelength beam of light among a series of wavelength-specific interference filters, with each filter separating out a specific wavelength component from the multi-wavelength beam. The relay mirrors are focusing mirrors, so that the demultiplexer can be operated with a non-collimated light beam in a manner that controls the potentially large angle of divergence of non-collimated light, while taking advantage of the small beam diameter in order to create a demultiplexer with greater miniaturization.
Claims20
An optical demultiplexer comprising:
- a body;
- a plurality of wavelength-specific filters connected to an output region of said body;
- input means, integrated into said body, for directing a beam of optical energy that includes multiple wavelengths toward a first one of said wavelength-specific filters;
- and
- a relay arrangement of reflective focusing lenses configured to recurringly converge said beam and to redirect said beam to said wavelength-specific filters, said reflective focusing lenses being integrally formed into said body and being positioned relative to said wavelength-specific filters such that beam convergence occurs with approach to each said wavelength-specific filter and such that at least a portion of said beam impinges multiple wavelength-specific filters and reflective focusing lenses.
An optical demultiplexer comprising:
- a main optical block having an input region for receiving a beam of multi-wavelength optical energy and a plurality of outputs for outputting a plurality of wavelength-specific optical energy beams;
- a plurality of wavelength-specific filters aligned with said plurality of outputs and connected to said main optical block such that a first of said filters is impinged by said received beam of multi-wavelength optical energy, each of said wavelength-specific filters having optical characteristics that cause transmission of optical energy at a first set of wavelengths and reflection of optical energy at a second set of wavelengths outside of said first set;
- and
- a plurality of converging reflectors formed at a surface of said main optical block, each said converging reflector being configured to focus light reflected therefrom, said converging reflectors being located relative to said wavelength-specific filters such that each converging reflector receives at least a portion of said beam of optical energy from one of said wavelength-specific filters and redirects said received optical energy into a converging non-collimated beam toward a different one of said wavelength-specific filters.
An optical demultiplexer comprising:
- a monolithic main optical block having an input for receiving a non-collimated beam of multi-wavelength optical energy;
- a plurality of wavelength-selective filters connected to said monolithic main optical block, each said filter passing non-collimated light within a first set of wavelengths and reflecting non-collimated light with a second set of wavelengths;
- means, integrated as a first region of said main optical block, for focusing said received non-collimated beam and for directing said received non-collimated beam to a first filter of said plurality of wavelength-selective filters;
- and
- a plurality of focusing reflectors integrated as a second region of said main optical block such that at least a portion of said non-collimated beam is reflected and focused to each one of said filters, said non-collimated beam of multi-wavelength optical energy thereby being separated by said plurality of wavelength-selective filters into a plurality of wavelength-specific optical energy beams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.