Optical filter and spectrometer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025052610-A1
Application number	US-202418929726-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 29, 2024
Priority date	Aug 5, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical assembly is disclosed including two laterally variable bandpass optical filters stacked at a fixed distance from each other, so that the upstream filter functions as a spatial filter for the downstream filter. The lateral displacement may cause a suppression of the oblique beam when transmission passbands at impinging locations of the oblique beam onto the upstream and downstream filters do not overlap. A photodetector array may be disposed downstream of the downstream filter. The optical assembly may be coupled via a variety of optical conduits or optical fibers for spectroscopic measurements of a flowing sample.

First claim

1 - 32 . (canceled)

33 . An optical assembly comprising:
an optical conduit; a first laterally variable bandpass optical filter optically coupled to a surface of the optical conduit and configured to receive signal light propagated in the optical conduit; a second laterally variable bandpass optical filter arranged at a distance from the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter; and a sensor coupled to the second laterally variable bandpass optical filter,
wherein the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter has a first bandpass center wavelength,
wherein the second laterally variable bandpass optical filter has a second bandpass center wavelength, and
wherein the first bandpass center wavelength and the second bandpass center wavelength vary in a mutually coordinated fashion.

34 . The optical assembly of claim 33 , wherein another surface of the optical conduit is optically coupled to an end of an optical fiber.

35 . The optical assembly of claim 34 , wherein the other surface of the optical conduit is optically coupled to the end of the optical fiber via an air gap.

36 . The optical assembly of claim 33 , wherein the sensor is a multi-element sensor.

37 . The optical assembly of claim 33 , wherein the sensor is a photodetector array.

38 . The optical assembly of claim 33 , wherein the sensor comprises photodetectors disposed for wavelength selective detection of the signal light.

39 . The optical assembly of claim 33 , wherein the optical conduit comprises a planar parallel slab of homogenous transparent material.

40 . The optical assembly of claim 39 , wherein the planar parallel slab is configured for unconstrained propagation of the signal light.

41 . The optical assembly of claim 33 , wherein the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter is configured to reflect a portion of the signal light.

42 . The optical assembly of claim 41 , wherein the optical conduit comprises one or more reflective walls configured to redirect at least a portion of the reflected portion to the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter.

43 . An optical assembly comprising:
an elbowed optical conduit comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface,
wherein the third surface is configured to receive signal light from the first surface and reflect the signal light towards the second surface;
a first laterally variable bandpass optical filter optically coupled to the second surface and configured to receive the signal light propagated in the elbowed optical conduit; a second laterally variable bandpass optical filter arranged at a distance from the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter; and a sensor coupled to the second laterally variable bandpass optical filter,
wherein the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter has a first bandpass center wavelength, and
wherein the second laterally variable bandpass optical filter has a second bandpass center wavelength.

44 . The optical assembly of claim 43 , wherein the first bandpass center wavelength and the second bandpass center wavelength vary in a mutually coordinated fashion along a direction transversal to an optical path.

45 . The optical assembly of claim 43 , wherein the first surface is optically coupled to an end of an optical fiber.

46 . The optical assembly of claim 43 , wherein the sensor comprises photodetectors disposed for wavelength selective detection of the signal light.

47 . The optical assembly of claim 43 , wherein the third surface is a curved surface.

48 . An optical assembly comprising:
an optical conduit comprising a first surface and a second surface,
wherein the first surface is configured to optically couple to an end of an optical fiber;
a first laterally variable bandpass optical filter optically coupled to the second surface and configured to receive signal light propagated in the optical conduit; a second laterally variable bandpass optical filter; and a sensor coupled to the second laterally variable bandpass optical filter,
wherein the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter has a first bandpass center wavelength, and
wherein the second laterally variable bandpass optical filter has a second bandpass center wavelength.

49 . The optical assembly of claim 48 , wherein the sensor is a multi-element sensor.

50 . The optical assembly of claim 48 , wherein the sensor comprises photodetectors disposed for wavelength selective detection of the signal light.

51 . The optical assembly of claim 48 , wherein the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter is configured to reflect a portion of the signal light.

52 . The optical assembly of claim 51 , wherein the optical conduit comprises one or more reflective walls configured to redirect at least a portion of the reflected portion to the first laterally variable bandpass optical filter.

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Smith Paula
• Hruska Curtis R
• Catching Benjamin F
• Coombs Paul G

Classifications

• G02B6/4215

  the intermediate optical elements being wavelength selective optical elements, e.g. variable wavelength optical modules or wavelength lockers (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B5/3025

  Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B5/22

  Absorbing filters {(G02B5/201 - G02B5/208 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01J3/2803

  using photoelectric array detector · CPC title

• G02B5/20

  Filters (polarising elements G02B5/30) · CPC title