Compound-Eye Light Receiver With Tapered Reflector for Diffused Light
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light receiving devices for spectroscopic analysis face challenges in achieving high coupling efficiency for diffused light, with existing solutions offering only around 20-42% efficiency, leaving room for improvement.
Innovation Solution
A light receiving device is designed with a compound eye lens and a cylindrical reflective surface in the lens holder, where the reflective surface's diameter decreases exponentially as it approaches the semiconductor light receiving element, optimizing the reflection and collection of diffused light to enhance coupling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a condensing lens is used to increase the light receiving area, then the amount of light received increases, but the coupling efficiency for diffused light remains low (around 20-42%)
Solution Approach 1:
The condensing lens is divided into multiple convex lens surfaces (compound eye lens structure) that segment the incident diffused light into multiple optical paths, each directing light toward the light receiving element. This segmentation allows efficient collection of diffused light from various angles while maintaining high coupling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a cylindrical reflective surface that adds a dimensional element to the optical path. The reflective surface captures light that would otherwise be lost and redirects it through the optical path section to the light receiving element, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space to improve coupling efficiency.
2Reliability
If the area of the semiconductor light receiving element is reduced to suppress dark current, then the noise is reduced, but the amount of light received decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The compound eye lens segments incident light into multiple focused paths that converge on the smaller light receiving element. This allows the system to maintain a small detector area (for low dark current) while still capturing and concentrating light from a larger effective area through the segmented optical paths.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple optical paths from the segmented lens surfaces and the reflective surface are merged into a single convergence point at the light receiving element. This merging allows the small detector to receive light that has been collected from a much larger effective area, compensating for the reduced detector size.
3Quantity of substance
If a conical cylindrical reflecting mirror is used to reflect diffused light, then some light enters the light receiving element, but the coupling efficiency is only around 20%
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the conical cylindrical reflective surface with a curved reflective surface that has optimized geometry. The curved surface better matches the spherical nature of diffused light propagation, allowing more efficient reflection and redirection of light onto the light receiving element, thereby improving coupling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes the geometric parameters of the optical system, including the curvature radius of the convex lens surfaces and the shape parameters of the cylindrical reflective surface. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the system achieves maximum coupling efficiency for diffused light while maintaining suppression of stray light.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves a significant improvement in coupling efficiency, reaching up to 69.6% in ray tracing simulations, by effectively directing and condensing diffused light onto the semiconductor light receiving element, reducing stray light and increasing the amount of light received.
Implementation Method 1
The light that is incident parallel to the optical axis of the condensing lens is condensed by the condensing lens
Implementation Method 2
a part of the light transmitted through the condensing lens is reflected by the reflective surface and enters the semiconductor light receiving element
Data Source
AI summary
A light receiving device comprises a condensing lens, a lens holder for mounting the condensing lens, a semiconductor light receiving element, and a lens holder, and the light transmitted through the condensing lens enters the semiconductor light receiving element via the optical path section in the lens holder. The condensing lens is a compound eye lens with a plurality of convex lens surfaces on one side, and the lens holder connects the condensing lens to the semiconductor light receiving element, and has a cylindrical reflective surface facing the optical path section formed in such a way that the diameter and a diameter decreasing rate become smaller as it approaches the semiconductor light receiving element.