Optical Assembly Beam Offset Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In optical systems, such as optical communication systems, optical beams often become laterally offset due to the non-zero angle orientation of optical filters, preventing them from reaching their intended destinations, which impairs system performance.
Innovation Solution
An optical assembly comprising an optical filter and an optical compensator, where the filter is oriented at a first non-zero angle and the compensator at a second non-zero angle opposite to it, with the compensator having a greater optical thickness than the filter, allowing the beam to be realigned along the optical axis, minimizing offset and improving destination reachability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an optical filter is oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis, then the optical filter can pass optical beams within a spectral range, but the optical beam becomes laterally offset and cannot reach its destination
Solution Approach 1:
An optical compensator is introduced as an intermediary element between the optical filter and the optical beam path. The compensator, oriented at a second non-zero angle in the opposite tilt direction, mediates the lateral offset caused by the filter's non-zero angle orientation, enabling the beam to reach its intended destination while maintaining the filter's spectral filtering function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the orientation parameters of optical elements by tilting both the optical filter and optical compensator at non-zero angles in opposite directions. This parameter adjustment allows the system to compensate for lateral beam offset while maintaining spectral filtering capability, resolving the contradiction between beam reachability and operational ease
2Reliability
If an optical compensator is added to correct beam offset, then beam destination reachability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical filter and optical compensator are merged into a single integrated optical assembly housed within a common housing. This combination allows both elements to work together in a compact configuration, correcting beam offset while minimizing the increase in device complexity through unified structural design
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
This configuration enhances the likelihood of optical beams reaching their destinations, thereby improving the performance of the optical system by reducing beam offset and simplifying the system design, maintenance, and reducing overall size.
Implementation Method 1
An optical filter is configured to pass optical beams associated with a spectral range
Implementation Method 2
the optical compensator is oriented at a second non-zero angle in a second tilt direction, which is opposite to the first tilt direction, with respect to the normal of the optical axis of the optical assembly
Data Source
AI summary
An optical assembly includes a housing, and an optical filter and an optical compensator disposed within the housing. The optical filter is oriented at a first non-zero angle in a first tilt direction with respect to an optical axis of the optical assembly. The optical compensator is oriented at a second non-zero angle in a second tilt direction with respect to the normal of the optical axis of the optical assembly. The optical filter is configured to pass, to the optical compensator, a portion of an optical beam that impinges on the optical filter along an optical axis of the optical assembly, such that the portion of the optical beam is offset from the optical axis. The optical compensator is configured to cause the portion of the optical beam to propagate out of the optical assembly along the optical axis of the optical assembly (or with a minimized offset).