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 independently applying voltages having different voltages, different address times, or combinations thereof to the electrodes in the array 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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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.
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Citations
36 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 independently applying voltages having different voltages, different address times, or combinations thereof to the electrodes in the array 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)
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13. 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 independently applying voltages having different voltages, different address times, or combinations thereof to the electrodes in the array 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 (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. 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 independently applying voltages having different voltages, different address times, or combinations thereof to the electrodes in the array 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 (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. 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 independently applying voltages having different voltages, different address times, or combinations thereof to the electrodes in the array 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 (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. 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 independently applying voltages having different voltages, different address times, or combinations thereof to the electrodes in the array 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 (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification