Optical probe

Abstract

An optical probe for measuring the intensity and/or intensity distribution in a light beam is provided. The optical probe (10) includes a substrate formed of nonlight-absorbing material and a light-scattering element (12) included in the substrate. The light-scattering element has an index of refraction different from that of the substrate. The optical probe further includes an aperture stop (14) for receiving the light (16′) scattered by, refracted by, and/or reflected from the light-scattering element. The optical probe still further includes a light-measuring device (15) for measuring the intensity of the light received by the aperture stop. The light-scattering element and the aperture stop are arranged in fixed relationship with respect to each other. In operation, as an incident light beam (16) enters the substrate, some of the light strikes and is scattered by, refracted by, and/or reflected from the light-scattering element. Some of such light is then received by the aperture stop and the light-measuring device. Because the intensity of the incident light beam is proportional to the power of the light limited by the aperture stop and detected by the light-measuring device, the probe determines the intensity of the incident light. Further, moving the probe with respect to the incident light allows the probe to be used to measure the intensity distribution within the incident light at various locations.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.