Reflective Relay Spectrometer Compact Optical Path Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optically fast spectrometer designs are either too large, have complex and costly dispersing elements, or fail to provide sufficient spatial and spectral imaging quality, throughput, or optical speed, making them unsuitable for applications like unmanned aircraft and forensic fieldwork.
Innovation Solution
A compact reflective relay spectrometer design utilizing a symmetrical refractive relay system with reflective optical elements, a dispersing element like a plane parallel transmission diffraction grating, and a detecting element, which reduces aberrations and enhances spectral imaging quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional spectrometer designs are used to achieve sufficient spectral imaging quality, then spatial and spectral resolution requirements are met, but the physical size becomes too large for applications like unmanned aircraft and forensic fieldwork
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a folded optical path where the light trajectory is nested within itself by using reflective elements to redirect the beam back through portions of the optical system. This allows the optical path length required for high spectral resolution to be contained within a compact physical footprint, effectively nesting the functional requirements within the spatial constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a linear optical path to a multi-dimensional folded path using reflective elements arranged in three-dimensional space. By utilizing vertical and lateral reflections, the system achieves long optical path lengths necessary for spectral resolution without proportionally increasing the horizontal footprint, effectively using the third dimension to resolve the size-quality contradiction.
2Measurement precision
If dispersing elements with sufficient resolution are used, then spectral imaging quality improves, but the complexity and fabrication cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the optical system into multiple discrete reflective elements (mirrors) rather than using a single complex dispersing element. Each mirror performs a simple function (collimation, reflection, focusing), and collectively they achieve the spectral resolution that would otherwise require a single complex grating or prism, thereby reducing individual component complexity and fabrication cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces reflective elements as intermediary components between the light source and detector. These intermediaries (mirrors) simplify the overall system by using simple reflective surfaces instead of complex refractive or diffractive dispersing elements, while still achieving the necessary spectral separation through the folded optical geometry.
3Volume of moving object
If compact designs are used to reduce physical size, then portability improves, but optical throughput and speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple optical functions (collimation, dispersion, focusing) into a compact folded path using reflective elements. By merging these functions into a space-efficient configuration rather than sequential linear arrangements, the system maintains high optical throughput while reducing the physical volume to portable dimensions.
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 a compact size with superior spectral imaging quality, meeting the requirements for applications needing high spatial and spectral resolution, fast optical speed, and low-cost manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a first optical subassembly configured to substantially collimate, at a center plane, electromagnetic radiation or light emanating from the at least one slit element
Implementation Method 2
at least one dispersing element located substantially at the center plane, configured to angularly separate the electromagnetic radiation emanating from the center plane according to its wavelength
Implementation Method 3
the dispersive element is a plane parallel transmission diffraction grating
Implementation Method 4
a second optical subassembly configured to substantially image, at an image plane, the electromagnetic radiation emanating from the dispersing element
Implementation Method 5
the first optical subassembly comprises at least one reflective optical element; a second optical subassembly configured to substantially image, at an image plane, the electromagnetic radiation emanating from the dispersing element, wherein the second optical subassembly comprises at least one reflective optical element
Data Source
AI summary
A reflective relay spectrometer design based on reflective optical relay systems, which is more compact in physical size and superior in spectral imaging quality than previous designs, is disclosed.