Compact Light Source Using Parabolic Mirror and Plano-Convex Body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current broadband fluorescent light sources, such as those using LEDs, suffer from low spectral radiance due to low radiance pump sources, leading to poorly collimated or focused light beams, which are unsuitable for long-range or high-resolution applications and inefficient coupling into optical fibers, and face challenges in thermal management and manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A compact light source design featuring a plano-convex fluorescent body with a parabolic mirror that directs excitation light from multiple pump sources behind the fluorescent body, allowing for improved thermal management and efficient light collection, while reducing the number of optical elements and simplifying assembly, using a parabolic mirror to focus and collimate the light without obstructing the output beam.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If front-side pumping schemes are used to cool the fluorescent body, then thermal management is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase due to multiple heat sinks and alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional front-side pumping scheme by implementing back-side pumping, where pump sources are positioned behind the fluorescent body rather than in front. This reversal allows heat to be extracted from the back side through a single heat sink, simplifying thermal management architecture while reducing device complexity and manufacturing difficulty associated with multiple heat sinks and alignment requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heat management function from the front side of the device where it complicates the structure, and relocates it to the back side. By separating the heat extraction function to a dedicated back-side heat sink, the design eliminates the need for multiple heat sinks and complex alignment mechanisms required in front-side pumping configurations.
2Temperature
If multiple heat sinks are used in front-side pumping schemes, then thermal management capability is improved, but assembly complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate heat sinks into a single integrated back-side heat sink. By consolidating heat extraction to one location on the back side of the fluorescent body, the design simplifies assembly procedures and reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining effective thermal management capability.
3Illumination intensity
If conventional broadband fluorescent light sources are used, then spectral radiance is improved, but beam collimation and focusing quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a parabolic mirror with a curved reflective surface to focus and collate the broadband fluorescent light. The parabolic geometry transforms the isotropic emission from the fluorescent body into a directed beam with improved collimation and focusing quality, resolving the trade-off between maintaining high spectral radiance and achieving precise beam control.
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 design achieves high spectral radiance with improved thermal management and manufacturability, enabling efficient light collection over a large solid angle and compatibility with compact packaging, suitable for high-volume manufacturing and automated alignment.
Implementation Method 1
one or more mirrors, and one or more light sources for providing excitation light at the excitation wavelength. The light sources have outputs directed at corresponding ones of the mirrors, so that the mirrors direct the excitation light provided by the one or more light sources at the body
Implementation Method 2
The one or more mirrors may be a single parabolic mirror positioned to have a focal axis directed at a top face of the body for focusing outputs of the light sources on the top face of the body
Implementation Method 3
a body having a material doped to have a fluorescent property when stimulated at an excitation wavelength
Implementation Method 4
The convex back surface of the body may be coated with a reflective coating
Data Source
AI summary
A pumped fluorescent light source includes one or more mirrors that direct pumping light from one or more pump sources on a fluorescent body having a planar top surface and a convex back surface. The top surface may be coated with an anti-reflective coating and the back convex surface may be coated with a reflective coating to improve efficiency. The body top surface may also be roughened to scatter a portion of the excitation light provided from the mirror(s) to generate a white output beam. The mirror(s) have reflective surfaces disposed outside of a collection area of an output beam of the light sources, so that the collection area is not obstructed by the mirror(s). The light source also includes a collecting lens for collecting the light emitted by the body. The mirror may be a single parabolic mirror that focuses the excitation light on the body to stimulate emission.