Buckling mode actuation of fiber scanner to increase field of view
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- an optical fiber having a distal fiber end and a proximal fiber end;
a first electromechanical transducer mechanically coupled to the optical fiber between the distal fiber end and the proximal fiber end, wherein the first electromechanical transducer is configured to apply a buckling force to the optical fiber by reducing a length of the first electromechanical transducer between a distal buckling end of the first electromechanical transducer and a proximal buckling end of the first electromechanical transducer; and
a second electromechanical transducer mechanically coupled to the optical fiber between the distal fiber end and the proximal fiber end, wherein the second electromechanical transducer is configured to excite whirling of the distal fiber end.
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Abstract
Described herein are embodiments of fiber scanning systems and methods of scanning optical fibers. The disclosed systems and methods advantageously provide an improvement to the scanning range, the oscillation amplitude, and/or the maximum pointing angle for an optical fiber in a fiber scanning system by inducing a buckling of a portion of the optical fiber.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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an optical fiber having a distal fiber end and a proximal fiber end; a first electromechanical transducer mechanically coupled to the optical fiber between the distal fiber end and the proximal fiber end, wherein the first electromechanical transducer is configured to apply a buckling force to the optical fiber by reducing a length of the first electromechanical transducer between a distal buckling end of the first electromechanical transducer and a proximal buckling end of the first electromechanical transducer; and a second electromechanical transducer mechanically coupled to the optical fiber between the distal fiber end and the proximal fiber end, wherein the second electromechanical transducer is configured to excite whirling of the distal fiber end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method comprising:
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applying a first voltage to an optical fiber scanning system to induce whirling of an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber scanning system includes; the optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber has a distal fiber end and a proximal fiber end; a first electromechanical transducer mechanically coupled to the optical fiber between the distal fiber end and the proximal fiber end, wherein the first electromechanical transducer is configured to apply a buckling force to the optical fiber by reducing a length of the first electromechanical transducer between a distal buckling end of the first electromechanical transducer and a proximal buckling end of the first electromechanical transducer; and a second electromechanical transducer mechanically coupled to the optical fiber between the distal fiber end and the proximal fiber end, wherein the second electromechanical transducer is configured to excite whirling of the distal fiber end; and applying a second voltage to the optical fiber scanning system to induce buckling of the optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification