High energy laser target board apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9423298-B2
Application number	US-201414463436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2014
Priority date	Aug 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A laser target board apparatus is provided for detecting spatial and temporal intensity distribution of high energy laser beams. The laser target board apparatus may include a panel having a plurality of openings and a plurality of optical rods placed therein. The laser target board apparatus may further have an optic fiber array positioned substantially parallel to and behind the panel and separated from the panel by a predetermined distance. At least one lens is configured to receive photons emitted from a second end of each optic fiber unit of the optic fiber array, and at least one camera is configured to detect the photons. A processor is configured to analyze temporal and spatial distribution of intensity of the received high energy laser beam based on data generated by the at least one camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser target board apparatus for detecting spatial and temporal intensity distribution of high energy laser beams, comprising:
a panel having a plurality of openings and a plurality of optical rods placed therein, the panel being made of an energy barrier material capable of remaining mechanically intact at a temperature of at least 1,500 degrees Celsius when receiving a high energy laser beam, the plurality of optical rods configured to allow photons of the received high energy laser beam to be emitted through the plurality of optical rods;
an optic fiber array positioned substantially parallel to and behind the panel and separated from the panel by a predetermined distance, the optic fiber array including a plurality of rows of optic fiber units and a plurality of columns of optic fiber units, each optic fiber unit having a tip portion for receiving photons from the plurality of optical rods and a propagation portion having a first end connected to the tip portion and a second end, each optic fiber unit configured to transmit a received photon at the tip portion from the first end of the propagation portion to the second end of the propagation portion;
at least one lens configured to receive photons emitted from the second end of the propagation portion of each optic fiber unit of the optic fiber array; and
at least one camera configured to detect the photons emitted from the optic fiber array and passed through the at least one lens.

2. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an optical diffuse reflector positioned parallel to, adjacent and on top of the panel, the optical diffuse reflector including a plurality of openings centrally aligned with the plurality of optical rods, the panel receiving the high energy laser beam after the high energy laser beam passes through the optical diffuse reflector; and
a porous layer positioned substantially parallel to, adjacent and behind the panel, the porous layer having a plurality of openings centrally aligned with the plurality of optical rods, wherein the plurality of openings of the porous layer are wider than a corresponding and adjacent optical rod of the plurality of optical rods.

3. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy barrier material is graphite.

4. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical rods are made of sapphire.

5. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optic fiber array includes greater than or equal to 5 rows of optic fiber units and less than or equal to 100 rows of optic fiber units, and further includes greater than or equal to 5 columns of optic fiber units and less than or equal to 100 columns of optic fiber units.

6. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an optical filter positioned between the at least one lens and the at least one camera.

7. The laser target board apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the optical filter is a neutral density filter.

8. The laser target board apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the optical filter is configured to be switched on or off, for use with different light intensities of received high energy laser beams.

9. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second ends of the plurality of rows of optic fiber units and the plurality of columns of optic fiber units are bundled or joined together at a contact located proximal to the focal plane of the at least one lens.

10. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each optic fiber unit of the optic fiber array is registered to a single corresponding optical rod of the plurality of optical rods.

11. The laser target board apparatus of claim 10 , a numerical aperture cone angle of the tip portion of the each optic fiber unit of the optic fiber array covers only photons directly emitted by the single corresponding optical rod of the plurality of optical rods.

12. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each optical rod of the plurality of optical rods has a frosted end for Lambertian scattering on the frosted end and uniform optic distribution to a corresponding optic fiber unit of the optic fiber array.

13. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a hermetic seal covering at least the optic fiber array, the at least one lens, and the at least one camera.

14. The laser target board apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a processor configured to be connected to the at least one camera and configured to analyze temporal and spatial distribution of intensity of the received high energy laser beam based on data generated by the at least one camera based on the detected photons.

15. A laser weapon target board apparatus for detecting spatial and temporal intensity distribution of high energy laser beams, comprising:
a panel having a plurality of openings and a plurality of optical rods placed therein, the panel being made of an energy barrier material capable of remaining mechanically intact at a temperature of at least 1,500 degrees Celsius when receiving a high energy laser beam, the plurality of optical rods configured to allow photons of the received high energy laser beam to be emitted through the plurality of optical rods;
an optic fiber array positioned substantially parallel to and behind the panel and separated from the panel by a predetermined distance, the optic fiber array including a plurality of rows of optic fiber units and a plurality of columns of optic fiber units, each optic fiber unit having a tip portion for receiving photons from the plurality of optical rods and a propagation portion having a first end connected to the tip portion and a second end, each optic fiber unit configured to transmit a received photon at the tip portion from the first end of the propagation portion to the second end of the propagation portion;
at least one lens configured to receive photons emitted from the second end of the propagation portion of each optic fiber unit of the optic fiber array;
at least one camera configured to detect the photons emitted from the optic fiber array and passed through the at least one lens; and
an optical filter positioned between the at least one lens and the at least one camera.

16. The laser weapon target board apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each optic fiber unit of the optic fiber array is registered to a single corresponding optical rod of the plurality of optical rods, and a numerical aperture cone angle of the tip portion of the each optic fiber unit of the optic fiber array covers only photons directly emitted by the single corresponding optical rod of the plurality of optical rods.

17. The laser weapon target board apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a processor configured to be connected to the at least one camera and configured to analyze temporal and spatial distribution of intensity of the received high energy laser beam based on data generated by the at least one camera based on the detected photons.

18. A laser weapon target board apparatus for detecting spatial and temporal intensity distribution of high energy laser beams, comprising:
a panel made of graphite for receiving a high energy laser beam, the panel having a plurality of openings and a plurality of optical rods made of sapphire and positioned in the plurality of openings, respectively, and configured to allow photons of the received high energy laser beam to be emitted through the plurality of optical rods;
an optic fiber array positioned substantially parallel to and behind the panel and separa

Assignees

• Teledyne Scient & Imaging Llc

Inventors

• Gu Dong-Feng
• Winker Bruce
• Chen Ya-Chi
• Mahajan Milind

Classifications

• G01J1/0437

  using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators, spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters · CPC title

• G01J1/0425

  using optical fibers · CPC title

• G01J1/0474

  Diffusers (cavities G01J2001/0481) · CPC title

• G01J1/4257 Primary

  applied to monitoring the characteristics of a beam, e.g. laser beam, headlamp beam (monitoring arrangements for lasers in general H01S3/0014) · CPC title

• G01J1/0418

  using attenuators · CPC title