Birefringent grating polarizing beam splitter
First Claim
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1. A birefringence polarizing beam-splitter, comprising:
- an optically birefringent substrate having a first plane surface and having an optic axis parallel to the first plane surface, the substrate having a second surface and a series of grooves having a selected width in the second surface, the grooves having a blazed profile on the second surface of the substrate, the profile having a blazed angle and repeating so as to form a sawtooth pattern, the pattern repeating in a plane parallel to the optic axis of the substrate material.
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Abstract
A birefringence polarizing beam-splitter is provided. A series of periodic blazed grooves or grooves with echelon profile having a number of steps is provided on the surface of an optically birefringent material. The birefringent substrate material may be crystalline or plastic. In another embodiment, two substrates of birefringent material having a series of periodic blazed grooves or grooves with echelon profile are combined to achieve greater angle of beam splitting.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A birefringence polarizing beam-splitter, comprising:
an optically birefringent substrate having a first plane surface and having an optic axis parallel to the first plane surface, the substrate having a second surface and a series of grooves having a selected width in the second surface, the grooves having a blazed profile on the second surface of the substrate, the profile having a blazed angle and repeating so as to form a sawtooth pattern, the pattern repeating in a plane parallel to the optic axis of the substrate material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A birefringence polarizing beam splitter, comprising:
an optically birefringent substrate having a first plane surface and having an optic axis parallel to the first plane surface, the substrate having a second surface and a series of grooves in the second surface, the series of grooves having an echelon profile including a plurality of steps in each echelon, the steps being of equal width, height and number in each echelon and the profiles repeating so as to form an echelon array pattern, the pattern repeating in a plane parallel to the optic axis of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A birefringence polarizing beam-splitter, comprising:
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a first optically birefringent substrate having a refractive index for first and second directions of polarization and having a first plane surface and having an optic axis parallel to the first plane surface, the substrate having a second surface and a series of grooves in the second surface, the grooves having a selected width and a blazed profile on the second surface of the substrate, the profile having a blazed angle and repeating so as to form a sawtooth pattern, the pattern repeating in a plane parallel to the optic axis of the substrate material; a second optically birefringent substrate having the refractive index for the first and second directions of polarization and having a first plane surface and having an optic axis parallel to the first plane surface, the substrate having a series of grooves having a width in a second surface, the grooves having a blazed profile on the second surface of the substrate, the profile having a blazed angle and repeating so as to form a sawtooth pattern, the pattern repeating in a plane parallel or perpendicular to the optic axis of the substrate material, and the pattern of the first substrate and the pattern of the second substrate being the same, and the second substrate being placed such that the optic axis of the second birefringent substrate is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the optic axis of the first birefringent substrate, and the grooves of the second substrate are aligned opposite the grooves of the first substrate and proximate thereto so as to form an inner volume between the substrates. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification