Angle-tunable transmissive grating
First Claim
1. An apparatus for tuning wavelengths of light through a transmissive dispersive element, comprising:
- a transmissive dispersive element, anda reflector, at least one of said dispersive element and reflector being movable such that said movement alters a wavelength of light transmitted by the dispersive element and reflected by the reflector.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tunable transmissive grating comprises a transmissive dispersive element, a reflective element, and an angle θ formed between the two elements. A first optical path is formed according to the angle θ, wherein light dispersing from the dispersive element is directed onto the reflective element and reflects therefrom. At least one element is rotatable about a rotational center to cause a second optical path and thereby tune the wavelength of the light reflecting from the reflective element. Both elements can be rotatable together around a common rotational center point according to certain embodiments, and/or each element can be independently rotated around a rotational axis associated only with that element. According to some embodiments, the relative angle θ formed between the elements is held constant; however, in other embodiments θ can vary.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for tuning wavelengths of light through a transmissive dispersive element, comprising:
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a transmissive dispersive element, and a reflector, at least one of said dispersive element and reflector being movable such that said movement alters a wavelength of light transmitted by the dispersive element and reflected by the reflector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for tuning wavelengths of light through a transmissive dispersive element, comprising:
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a grating having a grating normal; a reflector; a first relative angular position θ
formed between the the grating and the reflector;a first optical path such that light dispersing from the dispersive element is directed onto the reflector and reflects at the first relative angular position θ
;a first relative angular position β
′
formed between the grating normal and the light reflecting from the reflector according to the first optical path;a second relative angular position β
′
formed between the grating normal and the light reflecting from the reflector; anda second optical path such that light dispersing from the dispersive element is directed onto the reflector and reflects at the second relative angular position β
′
. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of tuning the wavelength of an output beam in an optical instrument, comprising the steps of
providing a transmissive dispersive element and a reflector to provide a tuning device; - and
providing relative movement between an input light path and the tuning device to alter a wavelength of light emitted by the tuning device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification