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US 9,865,985 B1Granted
Widely tunable infrared source system and method
AssigneeTeradiode, Inc.
InventorsBien Chann, Robin Huang, Parviz Tayebati
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for tuning and infrared source laser in the Mid-IR wavelength range. The system and method comprising, at least, a plurality of individually tunable emitters, each emitter emitting a beam having a unique wavelength, a grating, a mirror positioned after the grating to receive at least one refracted order of light of at least one beam and to redirect the beam back towards the grating, and a micro-electro-mechanical systems device containing a plurality of adjustable micro-mirrors.
Claims19
A tunable IR source comprising:
- a plurality of individually tunable emitters, each emitter emitting a beam having a unique wavelength;
- a grating;
- a first optical element positioned to receive the beams and cause the beams to converge onto the grating;
- a first mirror positioned to receive at least one refracted order of the beams transmitted by the grating and to redirect the refracted order back towards the grating;
- a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device containing a plurality of adjustable micro-mirrors;
- a second optical element configured to receive a portion of the beams transmitted by the grating and direct the beams onto at least one micro-mirror of the MEMS device, wherein at least one beam (i) is reflected by the at least one micro-mirror and back towards the grating, thereby forming one or more tuned beams, and (ii) does not propagate to the first optical element after being reflected by the at least one micro-mirror;
- and
- a third optical element configured to collimate transmitted tuned beams from the grating.
5 more elements
A method for tuning an IR source, comprising the steps of:
- arranging a plurality of individually tunable emitters into an array, each emitter emitting a beam having a unique wavelength;
- converging the emitted beam onto a grating using a first optical element positioned to receive at least one beam from the emitters;
- transmitting portions of the beam from the grating to both a mirror and a second optical element;
- reflecting the portion of the beam from the mirror back towards the grating;
- directing the portion of the beam through the second optical element and onto at least one micro-mirror of a micro-electro-mechanical systems device containing a plurality of adjustable micro-mirrors to thereby form one or more tuned beams;
- redirecting at least one tuned beam from the micro-mirrors back to the grating, wherein the at least one tuned beam does not propagate to the first optical element after being redirected from the micro-mirrors;
- and
- collimating transmitted tuned beams from the grating using a third optical element.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.