Electro-optic despeckling modulator and method of use
First Claim
1. A method of distorting the temporal and spatial phase of a light beam, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an electro-optic device having, i) an electro-optic substrate, ii) an electrode array arranged on the surface of the electro-optic substrate, iii) at least one electrode located on the opposite surface of the electro-optic substrate, and iv) means for applying voltage to the electrodes to generate a variation in a refractive index profile within the substrate; and
b) directing the light beam through the electro-optic device while applying voltage to the device, whereby the temporal and spatial phase are altered, thereby reducing the appearance of speckle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of reducing the appearance of speckle resulting from a coherent light beam, includes the steps of: providing an electro-optic device having, an electro-optic substrate, an electrode array arranged on the surface of the electro-optic substrate, at least one electrode located on the opposite surface of the electro-optic substrate, and means for applying voltage to the electrodes to generate a variation in a refractive index profile within the substrate; and directing the light beam through the electro-optic device while applying voltage to the device, whereby the temporal and spatial phase of a light beam passing through the substrate is altered, thereby reducing the appearance of speckle..
10 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of distorting the temporal and spatial phase of a light beam, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing an electro-optic device having, i) an electro-optic substrate, ii) an electrode array arranged on the surface of the electro-optic substrate, iii) at least one electrode located on the opposite surface of the electro-optic substrate, and iv) means for applying voltage to the electrodes to generate a variation in a refractive index profile within the substrate; and
b) directing the light beam through the electro-optic device while applying voltage to the device, whereby the temporal and spatial phase are altered, thereby reducing the appearance of speckle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A device for use with a light beam to reduce the appearance of speckle, comprising:
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a) an electro-optic substrate;
b) an electrode array arranged on a surface of the electro-optic substrate such that the electrodes in the array are spaced closely enough to provide sufficient cross-talk in the presence of an electric field to induce a phase shift along any point in the substrate;
c) at least one electrode located on an opposite surface of the electro-optic substrate; and
d) means for applying voltage to the electrodes to generate a variation in the refractive index profile within the substrate, whereby the temporal and spatial phase are altered, thereby reducing the appearance of speckle. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A device for use with a light beam to reduce the appearance of speckle, comprising:
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a) an electro-optic substrate;
b) an electrode array arranged in an aperiodic array on a surface of the electro-optic substrate c) at least one electrode located on the opposite surface of the electro-optic substrate; and
d) means for applying voltage to the electrodes to generate variations in the refractive index profile within the substrate, whereby the temporal and spatial phase of a light beam passing through the substrate is altered, thereby reducing the appearance of speckle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A device for use with a light beam to reduce the appearance of speckle, comprising:
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a) a periodically poled electro-optic substrate;
b) an electrode array arranged on the surface of the electro-optic substrate;
c) at least one electrode located on an opposite surface of the electro-optic substrate; and
d) means for applying voltage to the electrodes to generate a variation in the refractive index profile within the substrate, whereby the temporal and spatial phase of a light beam passing through the substrate is altered, thereby reducing the appearance of speckle. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A device for use with a light beam to reduce the appearance of speckle, comprising:
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a) an aperiodically poled electro-optic substrate;
b) an electrode array arranged on a surface of the electro-optic substrate;
.c) at least one electrode located on the opposite surface of the electro-optic substrate; and
d) means for applying voltage to the electrodes to generate a variation in the refractive index profile within the substrate, whereby the temporal and spatial phase of a light beam passing through the substrate is altered, thereby reducing the appearance of speckle. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification