Polarization selective holographic optical element
First Claim
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1. A holographic optical element, comprising:
- first holographic means for transmitting without diffraction a first component of incident light and diffracting a second component of the incident light by a selected angle in a selected plane;
second holographic means for transmitting without diffraction the first component of the incident light transmitted by said first holographic optical element and diffracting the second component of the incident light diffracted by said first holographic optical element by a selected angle in said selected plane; and
means for maintaining said first and second holographic means in optical contact so that the second component of incident light diffracted by said first holographic means is transmitted into said second holographic means substantially without refraction.
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Abstract
A polarization-selective holographic element having first and second holographic layers, each holographic layer including holograms comprising a plurality of fringes. The holographic optical element transmits a first component of light without diffraction and diffracts a second component of the light by a selected angle. The holographic optical element diffracts the second component into only one beam. The holographic optical element can be utilized as a beam splitter which is provided with optical power, for use in an optical head, by storing holograms for cylindrical and other powers and for auto-focusing and tracking capabilities.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A holographic optical element, comprising:
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first holographic means for transmitting without diffraction a first component of incident light and diffracting a second component of the incident light by a selected angle in a selected plane; second holographic means for transmitting without diffraction the first component of the incident light transmitted by said first holographic optical element and diffracting the second component of the incident light diffracted by said first holographic optical element by a selected angle in said selected plane; and means for maintaining said first and second holographic means in optical contact so that the second component of incident light diffracted by said first holographic means is transmitted into said second holographic means substantially without refraction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A holographic optical element, comprising:
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first and second transparent substrates; first and second holographic layers provided between said transparent substrates, each of said first and second holographic layers having first and second surfaces and containing a hologram which transmits a first polarized light component without diffraction and which diffracts a second polarized light component by a selected angle, said first holographic layer diffracting the second polarized light component so that the diffracted second polarized light component makes an angle of greater than arcsin 1/n with a normal to one of said surfaces of said first holographic layer, where n is the index of refraction of said first holographic layer, said first and second holographic layers diffracting the second polarized light component in the same plane; and means for joining said first and second holographic layers so that the second polarized light component is transmitted from said first holographic layer to said second holographic layer. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A holographic beam splitter for separating the S and P portions of polarized incident light, comprising:
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a first transparent substrate; first holographic means provided on said first transparent substrate for diffracting the S-polarized incident light by substantially 90 degrees in a selected plane and for transmitting the P-polarized incident light undiffracted; second holographic means provided on said first holographic means for diffracting the S-polarized incident light diffracted by said first holographic means by a selected angle in the same plane as the first holographic means and for transmitting the P-polarized incident light undiffracted; and a second transparent substrate provided on said second holographic means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A holographic optical element, comprising:
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first and second transparent substrates; and first and second holographic layers provided between and adjacent to corresponding ones of said first and second transparent substrates, said first holographic layer containing a hologram which transmits a first polarized light component without diffraction and diffracts a second polarized light component substantially perpendicularly and diffracts the second polarized light component into said second holographic layer, said second holographic layer containing a hologram which transmit the first polarized light component without diffraction and diffracts the second polarized light component by an angle greater than or equal to ninety (90) degrees and diffracts the second polarized light component into said second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A holographic optical element, comprising:
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first and second transparent substrates; and first and second holographic layers provided between and adjacent to corresponding ones of said first and second transparent substrates, said first holographic layer containing a hologram which transmits a first polarized light component without diffraction and diffracts a second polarized light component substantially perpendicularly and diffracts the second polarized light component into said second holographic layer, said second holographic layer containing a hologram which transmit the first polarized light component without diffraction and diffracts the second polarized light component substantially perpendicularly and diffracts the second polarized light component into said second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A holographic optical element for separating the P-polarized and S-polarized components of a beam of light, comprising:
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first and second substrates, each substrate having first and second parallel surfaces, said beam of light being incident on said first surface of said first substrate; a first holographic element provided on said second surface of said first substrate, said beam of light being transmitted through said first substrate and into said first holographic element, said first holographic element transmitting the P-polarized component of said beam of light without diffraction and diffracting the S-polarized component of said beam of light by approximately ninety degrees in a selected plane; a second holographic element provided on said first surface of said second substrate, said second holographic element facing said first holographic element so that said second holographic element receives the P-polarized component of said beam of light from said first holographic element and transits the P-polarized component of said beam of light without diffraction, and so that said second holographic element receives the S-polarized component of said beam of light from said first holographic element and diffracts the S-polarized component of said beam of light, said second holographic element diffracting said S-polarized component of said beam of light in the same plane that said first holographic element diffracts the S-polarized component of said beam of light; and means for transmitting the P-polarized and S-polarized components of said beam of light from said first holographic element to said second holographic element substantially without refraction and for joining said first and second holographic elements.
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27. A holographic optical element, comprising:
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first holographic means, having first and second surfaces, for transmitting without diffraction a first component of light incident on said first surface and diffracting a second component of the light incident on said first surface so that said diffracted second component makes an angle greater than forty-five degrees with a normal to said second surface; second holographic means, having first and second surfaces, for transmitting without diffraction a first component of light incident on said first surface of said second holographic means and diffracting a second component of light incident on said first surface of said second holographic means; and means for maintaining said second surface of said first holographic means and said first surface of said second holographic means in optical contact so that the second component of the light diffracted by said first holographic means is transmitted into said second holographic means.
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28. A holographic optical element, comprising:
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first holographic means for transmitting without diffraction a first component of incident light and diffracting a second component of the incident light by approximately ninety degrees in a selected plane; second holographic means for transmitting without diffraction the first component of the incident light transmitted by said first holographic optical element and diffracting the second component of the incident light diffracted by said first holographic optical element by a selected angle in the selected plane; and a medium, having an index of refraction substantially the same as the indices of refraction of said first and second holographic means, provided between and in contact with said first and second holographic means so that the first and second components of light are transmitted from said first holographic means to said second holographic means without being totally internally reflected in said first holographic means.
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Specification