The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 22, 1996
Filed:
Nov. 30, 1994
Brian L Justus, Springfield, VA (US);
Alan L Huston, Springfield, VA (US);
Anthony J Campillo, Springfield, VA (US);
Charles D Merritt, Burke, VA (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A broadband thermal optical limiter disposed between a laser oscillator and laser amplifier system for protecting optical components in the laser oscillator from damage due to amplified optical feedback from the laser amplifier system at all near ultraviolet, visible and near infrared wavelengths is disclosed. The thermal optical limiter comprises: a first lens for focusing the amplified optical feedback to a focal point on an optical axis; a flowing dye cell disposed near the focal point and being responsive to the focused amplified optical feedback for thermally defocusing and aberrating the focused amplified optical feedback into a plurality of rings about the optical axis; a second lens for passing only a small portion of the defocused amplified optical feedback; and a blocking aperture disposed around the second lens for blocking substantially all of the thermally defocused amplified optical feedback from the flowing dye cell and passing therethrough into the second lens only a small portion of the thermally defocused amplified optical feedback from the flowing dye cell.