Spectra-physics Gmbh

I-tek, Inc.

Newport Electro Optic Systems

James J Jacob

Eddie H Young

An acousto-optical device includes a solid state substrate having optical characteristics affected by an acoustic wave in the substrate, and a Z-cut lithium tantalate transducer coupled to the substrate for inducing the acoustic wave. Lithium tantalate provides the transducer with a coupling coefficient and acoustic impedance mismatch which generate a very high finesse acoustic standing wave within the substrate. The lithium tantalate also provides low shear wave components with relatively high manufacturing tolerances. The acousto-optical device with a lithium tantalate transducer is also utilized as a high Q modelocker in a laser capable of producing short pulses of laser light.

Acousto-optical device with lithium tantalate transducer

A star pattern within the field of view is transmitted through a non-collinear acousto optic filter and is focused upon the input screen of a vidicon, which in turn is coupled to input storage devices of a computer, each device being associated with a particular frequency band within the spectrum of light being examined. The contents of the input storage devices are compared with binary data within a star catalog which contains geometric reference patterns of stars and their frequency signatures. When a correlation signal is produced by the comparator, an output signal indicating the position of the pattern in the sky may be produced by a dictionary which could form part of the computer or be remotely located with respect to the computer.

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Atherton, CA, United States of America

James J Jacob