Tailored interfaces between optical materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10133000-B2
Application number	US-201213629648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 30, 2011
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

An optical system having two or more different optical elements with a corresponding interface between the optical elements. At least one of the optical elements has an anti-reflective structure that is transferred to the interface between two optical elements, typically by embossing. Also disclosed is the related method for making the optical system.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An optical system, comprising:
a first optical element;
a second optical element wherein the second optical element comprises a different material from the first optical element, and wherein one of the first or second optical elements comprises a chalcogenide fiber;
an interface between the first and second optical elements; and
an anti-reflective structure on either the first or second optical element that is transferred to the interface.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein there are more than two optical elements each comprising a different material from the other, wherein there is a corresponding interface between the optical elements with an anti-reflective structure transferred to each interface.

3. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the anti-reflective structure is transferred to the interface by embossing.

4. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein there is an anti-reflective structure on both the first and second optical elements.

5. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second optical elements are selected from the group consisting of spinel windows, diamond windows, silicon windows, optical lens, prisms, ZnSe glasses, glass fibers, fibers comprising an arsenic sulfur glass, and fibers comprising As 2 S 3 .

6. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the anti-reflective structure is a motheye structure.

7. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the anti-reflective structure comprises a periodic, quasi-random, or random double-dimensional array of objects.

8. A method for making an optical system, comprising:
creating an anti-reflective structure on either a first or second optical element wherein the second optical element comprises a different material from the first optical element, and wherein one of the first or second optical elements comprises a chalcogenide fiber; and
transferring the anti-reflective structure to an interface between the first and second optical elements.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein there are more than two optical elements each comprising a different material from the other, wherein there is a corresponding interface between the optical elements with an anti-reflective structure transferred to each interface.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the anti-reflective structure is transferred to the interface by embossing.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein there is an anti-reflective structure on both the first and second optical elements.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first and second optical elements are selected from the group consisting of spinel windows, diamond windows, silicon windows, optical lens, prisms, ZnSe glasses, glass fibers, fibers comprising an arsenic sulfur glass, and fibers comprising As 2 S 3 .

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the anti-reflective structure is a motheye structure.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the anti-reflective structure comprises a periodic, quasi-random, or random double-dimensional array of objects.

15. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the chalcogenide fiber comprises As 2 S 3 .

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the chalcogenide fiber comprises As 2 S 3 .

Assignees

• Sanghera Jasbinder S
• Florea Catalin M
• Shaw Leslie Brandon
• Busse Lynda E
• Aggarwal Ishwar D
• Bowman Steven R
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Sanghera Jasbinder S
• Florea Catalin M
• Shaw Leslie Brandon
• Busse Lynda E
• Aggarwal Ishwar D
• Bowman Steven R

Classifications

• G02B6/262

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title

• G02B6/255

  Splicing of light guides, e.g. by fusion or bonding · CPC title

• G02B6/32

  having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)} · CPC title

• G02B1/118

  having sub-optical wavelength surface structures designed to provide an enhanced transmittance, e.g. moth-eye structures · CPC title

• Y10T29/49

  Method of mechanical manufacture · CPC title