US 8,294,977 B2 · Imaging apparatus and methods

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus for manipulating electromagnetic radiation such as laser beams. A method and apparatus for correcting magnification chromatic aberration utilizes one or more dispersive lenses such that long wavelength components are magnified less than short wavelength components. A telecentric relay is preferred to achieve this aim. Further, the use of polarizers to block the undesired zeroth order components of diffraction emanating from acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) is disclosed. Furthermore, specific designs of AOD including narrow transducer AODs which produce a diverging acoustic wave and AODs having two transducers and a selection switch are disclosed. Further, the invention provides methods, systems and apparatus for allowing the wavelength of radiation to be changed, for providing a user selectable degree of compensation, for providing a scanning and/or a pointing system and for providing a compact system that does not require telecentric relays between adjacent acousto-optic deflectors.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A system for manipulating a beam of electromagnetic radiation, said system comprising:

a first acousto-optic deflector;
a second acousto-optic deflector positioned in series with, and downstream of, said first acousto-optic deflector and being separated from said first acousto-optic deflector by an effective optical separation;
a driver for providing acoustic waves in said first and second acousto-optic deflectors, said acoustic waves being chirped at different ramp rates to account for said effective optical separation between said first and second acousto-optic deflectors.

A method of manipulating a beam of electromagnetic radiation, said method comprising:

passing said electromagnetic radiation through a first acousto-optic deflector and then through a second acousto-optic deflector downstream of said first acousto-optic deflector, the deflectors containing first and second acoustic waves respectively;
wherein said first and second acoustic waves are chirped at different ramp rates to account for the effective optical separation between said first and second acousto-optic deflectors.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Imaging apparatus and methods

Life of this patent

Imaging apparatus and methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35