Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
268 words
A device for taking a sample from a beam of light, such as a laser beam, without altering the phase or intensity of the main beam exiting from the device, said device comprising first and second diffraction gratings mounted in parallel spaced relation, the opposed surfaces of the gratings having rulings thereon, the rulings on both gratings having the same period, the rulings on the first grating being such as to specularly reflect a substantial portion and to diffract a minor portion of the beam of light impinging thereon while the rulings on the second grating are such as to diffract the major portion of a beam of light impinging on it, the gratings being positioned for a beam of light that is being sampled to impinge on the ruled surface of the first grating at an angle less than 90* and being spaced apart at least enough for the specularly reflected portion of the said beam from the first grating to be reflected out, unobstructed, from between the gratings as the main beam exiting from the device, while the portion of said beam diffracted from the first grating impinges on the second grating at an angle such that at least a portion of the diffracted beam portion impinging on the second grating is diffracted therefrom out from between the gratings, whereby the double diffracted portion of said beam, which is the sample portion, leaves the second grating in a path parallel to the path of the beam impinging on the first grating and retains the amplitude and phase of the beam initially directed to the first grating.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
268 words
A device for taking a sample from a beam of light, such as a laser beam, without altering the phase or intensity of the main beam exiting from the device, said device comprising first and second diffraction gratings mounted in parallel spaced relation, the opposed surfaces of the gratings having rulings thereon, the rulings on both gratings having the same period, the rulings on the first grating being such as to specularly reflect a substantial portion and to diffract a minor portion of the beam of light impinging thereon while the rulings on the second grating are such as to diffract the major portion of a beam of light impinging on it, the gratings being positioned for a beam of light that is being sampled to impinge on the ruled surface of the first grating at an angle less than 90* and being spaced apart at least enough for the specularly reflected portion of the said beam from the first grating to be reflected out, unobstructed, from between the gratings as the main beam exiting from the device, while the portion of said beam diffracted from the first grating impinges on the second grating at an angle such that at least a portion of the diffracted beam portion impinging on the second grating is diffracted therefrom out from between the gratings, whereby the double diffracted portion of said beam, which is the sample portion, leaves the second grating in a path parallel to the path of the beam impinging on the first grating and retains the amplitude and phase of the beam initially directed to the first grating.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
The device of claim 1 including means interposed in the path of a doubly diffracted beam of light from the second grating for detecting the intensity and phase of the light in said doubly diffracted beam and the angular direction of that beam, and hence the intensity, phase, and direction of the beam impinging on the first grating.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
153 words
The device of claim 1 including third and fourth diffraction gratings mounted in parallel spaced relation with their opposed surfaces having rulings which diffract a portion of light impinging thereon; the period of the rulings on the third and fourth gratings being the same; said third and fourth gratings being mounted for light diffracted from the second grating to impinge on the ruled surface of the third grating at an angle less than 90* and for a portion of the light diffracted from the third grating to impinge on the ruled surface of the fourth grating which in turn diffracts a portion of the diffracted light it receives into a path parallel to said beam of entering light impinging on the first grating, whereby the beam of light diffracted from the fourth grating contains any multiple wavelengths of said entering light in the same lateral spacing and relative position as said entering light.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
92 words
The device of claim 1 including a specular reflecting surface mounted in the path of said doubly diffracted light from the second grating and positioned to speculArly reflect said doubly diffracted light into a path parallel and close to the path of said specularly reflected main beam of light from the first grating, whereby said main beam and the specularly reflected double diffracted light are adapted for both to pass at the same time through any group of optical elements interposed in the path of said main beam from the first grating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
The device of claim 4 including optical elements through which said main beam and the specularly reflected double diffracted light both pass, and detecting means in the path of said diffracted light from said optical elements for detecting the phase and intensity of said light and its angular direction and hence the phase, intensity, and the angular direction of the specularly reflected main beam.