Light beam splitter
First Claim
1. Apparatus for producing a plurality of parallel light beams of substantially equal intensity from a single input beam, comprising:
- light source means producing a collimated monochromatic light beam which is either totally non-polarized or is polarized with equal S- and P-polarization components, andat least two blocks of isotropic light-transmissive material each having opposed parallel major faces, each block being exclusively silvered on one major face and exclusively uniformly coated to be partially transmissive over the other major face;
the blocks being positioned in series and having respective thicknesses as measured between their opposed parallel major faces such that the light beam from the source means in a plane normal to both faces strikes the partially-transmissive face of a first block and divides to provide, after internal reflection, a plurality of parallel output beams from the partially-transmissive face, all of which then strike the next block in the series, each such subsequent block receiving the plurality of parallel beams and, by division and internal reflection, emitting for each received beam a plurality of parallel beams, the total energy of a final plurality of parallel beams being substantially equal to that of the original light beam, and said final plurality of parallel beams being equally spaced apart in a lateral direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for splitting a light beam into a plurality of parallel beams of equal intensity comprises at least two blocks of isotropic light-transmissive material, each block having one major face, on which the input beam is incident, coated to be partially transmissive, and an opposite parallel major face which is silvered. The blocks are arranged in series so that the input beam, on reaching the first block divides into a reflected part and a transmitted part which enters the block and, after total internal reflection, provides an output beam parallel to the reflected part of the first beam, each subsequent block receiving all parallel beams from the preceding block or blocks. Optical means may be provided in the beam path to ensure that each beam entering each block has equal S- and P- polarization components.
57 Citations
8 Claims
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1. Apparatus for producing a plurality of parallel light beams of substantially equal intensity from a single input beam, comprising:
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light source means producing a collimated monochromatic light beam which is either totally non-polarized or is polarized with equal S- and P-polarization components, and at least two blocks of isotropic light-transmissive material each having opposed parallel major faces, each block being exclusively silvered on one major face and exclusively uniformly coated to be partially transmissive over the other major face; the blocks being positioned in series and having respective thicknesses as measured between their opposed parallel major faces such that the light beam from the source means in a plane normal to both faces strikes the partially-transmissive face of a first block and divides to provide, after internal reflection, a plurality of parallel output beams from the partially-transmissive face, all of which then strike the next block in the series, each such subsequent block receiving the plurality of parallel beams and, by division and internal reflection, emitting for each received beam a plurality of parallel beams, the total energy of a final plurality of parallel beams being substantially equal to that of the original light beam, and said final plurality of parallel beams being equally spaced apart in a lateral direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification