High stability wavefront reference source

Patent · Fri Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:869280

Feldman, Mark ^[1]; Mockler, Daniel J ^[2]

---

1. Pleasanton, CA
2. Tracy, CA

A thermally and mechanically stable wavefront reference source which produces a collimated output laser beam. The output beam comprises substantially planar reference wavefronts which are useful for aligning and testing optical interferometers. The invention receives coherent radiation from an input optical fiber, directs a diverging input beam of the coherent radiation to a beam folding mirror (to produce a reflected diverging beam), and collimates the reflected diverging beam using a collimating lens. In a class of preferred embodiments, the invention includes a thermally and mechanically stable frame comprising rod members connected between a front end plate and a back end plate. The beam folding mirror is mounted on the back end plate, and the collimating lens mounted to the rods between the end plates. The end plates and rods are preferably made of thermally stable metal alloy. Preferably, the input optical fiber is a single mode fiber coupled to an input end of a second single mode optical fiber that is wound around a mandrel fixedly attached to the frame of the apparatus. The output end of the second fiber is cleaved so as to be optically flat, so that the input beam emerging therefrom is a nearly perfect diverging spherical wave.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5309282
• OSTI ID: 869280
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/359/
aligning
alloy
apparatus
attached
beam
beam comprises
cleaved
coherent
coherent radiation
collimated
collimated output
collimates
collimating
collimating lens
comprises
comprising
connected
coupled
directs
diverging
embodiments
emerging
fiber
fiber coupled
fixedly
fixedly attached
flat
folding
frame
front
input
input beam
input optical
interferometers
laser
laser beam
lens
mandrel
mechanically
mechanically stable
metal
metal alloy
mirror
mode
mode fiber
mode optical
mounted
nearly
optical
optical fiber
optical interferometer
optically
output
output beam
output laser
perfect
planar
plate
plates
preferably
preferred
preferred embodiment
preferred embodiments
produce
produces
radiation
receives
reference
reference source
reference wave
reference wavefront
reflected
rod
rods
single
single mode
source
spherical
spherical wave
stability
stable
stable metal
substantially
substantially planar
table frame
testing
testing optical
therefrom
thermally
thermally stable
useful
wave
wavefront
wavefront reference
wavefronts
wound