Optical device with thermally conductive fingers and related method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12399346-B2
Application number	US-202117451376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2021
Priority date	Oct 20, 2020
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

An optical device may include an optical body having first and second opposing sides, and passageways extending between the first and second opposing sides. The optical device includes a mirror layer carried by the optical body adjacent the second opposing side, thermally conductive fingers extending in the passageways, and a heatsink carried by the optical body adjacent the first opposing side and coupled to the thermally conductive fingers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical device comprising:
an optical body having
first and second opposing sides,
a plurality of passageways extending between the first and second opposing sides, and
a peripheral flange at the second opposing side defining a recess therein, the optical body comprising contiguous and integral glass material;

a plurality of optical layers carried by the optical body entirely within the recess, the plurality of optical layers comprising
a mirror layer, and
an uppermost cover layer over the mirror layer, and aligned with and to be flush with uppermost portions of the peripheral flange;

a plurality of thermally conductive fingers extending in the plurality of passageways;
a thermistor abutting the plurality of optical layers and being within the optical body;
a heatsink carried by the optical body adjacent the first opposing side and coupled to the plurality of thermally conductive fingers;
an active cooling device carried by the heatsink; and
a controller coupled to the thermistor and the active cooling device, the controller configured to
sense a temperature of the mirror layer, and
activate the active cooling device when the temperature of the mirror layer exceeds a threshold value.

2. The optical device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of connection terminals coupled to the thermistor and extending in the optical body and through the heatsink.

3. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical layers further comprises an antireflective layer.

4. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the heatsink comprises a disc-shaped heatsink abutting the first opposing side of the optical body.

5. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fingers comprise a plurality finger sets, each finger set being radially aligned.

6. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical layers comprises a heat spreader layer between the mirror layer and the plurality of thermally conductive fingers.

7. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fingers each comprises at least one from copper, gold, silver, and aluminum.

8. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to continuously sense the temperature of the mirror layer.

9. The optical device of claim 1 further comprising a photodiode within the optical body and configured to sense fluence throughput.

10. A method for making an optical device comprising:
using additive manufacturing with a glass material to form an optical body having
first and second opposing sides,
a plurality of passageways extending between the first and second opposing sides, and
a peripheral flange at the second opposing side defining a recess therein, the optical body comprising contiguous and integral glass material;

forming a plurality of optical layers carried by the optical body entirely within the recess, the plurality of optical layers comprising
a mirror layer, and
an uppermost cover layer over the mirror layer, and aligned with and to be flush with uppermost portions of the peripheral flange;

forming a plurality of thermally conductive fingers extending in the plurality of passageways;
coupling a thermistor to abut the plurality of optical layers and being within the optical body;
coupling a heatsink to be carried by the optical body adjacent the first opposing side and to the plurality of thermally conductive fingers
coupling an active cooling device to be carried by the heatsink; and
coupling a controller to the thermistor and the active cooling device, the controller configured to
sense a temperature of the mirror layer, and
activate the active cooling device when the temperature of the mirror layer exceeds a threshold value.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising coupling a plurality of connection terminals coupled to the thermistor and extending in the optical body and through the heatsink.

12. A smart optical device comprising:
an optical body having
first and second opposing sides,
a plurality of passageways extending between the first and second opposing sides, and
a peripheral flange at the second opposing side defining a recess therein, the optical body comprising contiguous and integral glass material;

a plurality of optical layers carried by the optical body entirely within the recess, the plurality of optical layers comprising
a mirror layer, and
an uppermost cover layer over the mirror layer, and aligned with and to be flush with uppermost portions of the peripheral flange;

a plurality of thermally conductive fingers extending in the plurality of passageways;
a thermistor abutting the plurality of optical layers and being within the optical body;
a heatsink carried by the optical body adjacent the first opposing side and coupled to the plurality of thermally conductive fingers;
a photodiode within the optical body and configured to sense fluence throughput;
an active cooling device carried by the heatsink; and
a controller coupled to the thermistor and the active cooling device, the controller configured to
continuously sense a temperature of the mirror layer, and
activate the active cooling device when the temperature of the mirror layer exceeds a threshold value.

13. The smart optical device of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of connection terminals coupled to the thermistor and extending in the optical body and through the heatsink.

14. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of optical layers further comprises an antireflective layer.

15. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the heatsink comprises a disc-shaped heatsink abutting the first opposing side of the optical body.

16. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fingers comprise a plurality finger sets, each finger set being radially aligned.

17. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of optical layers comprises a heat spreader layer between the mirror layer and the plurality of thermally conductive fingers.

18. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fingers each comprises at least one from copper, gold, silver, and aluminum.

Assignees

• Univ Central Florida Res Found Inc
• The U S A As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy

Inventors

• Sugrim Chandraika
• Kar Aravinda

Classifications

• H01S3/0401

  of optical elements being part of laser resonator, e.g. windows, mirrors, lenses · CPC title

• G02B7/195

  Fluid-cooled mirrors {(not in use, see G02B7/181)} · CPC title

• G02B7/028

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title

• G02B7/1815 Primary

  with cooling or heating systems (cooling arrangements for laser mirrors H01S3/0401) · CPC title