Tunable coherent light filter for optical sensing and imaging
| DWPI Title: System for filtering coherent infrared light from thermal background, has detector for receiving recombined beam, where detector comprises Michelson interferometer and computing device measures light transmitted through interferometer |
| Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for filtering coherent infrared light from a thermal background for protection of infrared (IR) imaging arrays and detection systems. A Michelson interferometer is used for coherent light filtering. In an implementation, a system includes a fixed mirror, a beam splitter, and a moving mirror which can be controlled translationally, as well as tip/tilt. The Michelson interferometer may be used as an imaging system. For imaging applications, a system may comprise a tunable array of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) mirrors. A mid-wave IR interferometer with electronic feedback and MEMS mirror array is provided. |
| Use: System for filtering coherent infrared (IR) light from a thermal background for protection of IR imaging arrays and detection systems in sensing, security and defense, and fundamental science applications and aircraft. |
| Advantage: The system places the Michelson interferometer outside a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer to minimize coherent light before scanning recombined light beam with the FTIR spectrometer. |
| Novelty: The system (100) has a beam splitter (130) configured to receive incident light comprising coherent light, and split the light into a split beam comprising two beams. Two mirrors (140,150) i.e. micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) mirror array, are configured to receive a beam of the split beam. A detector (160) i.e. imaging array, receives the recombined beam. A computing device(190) determines an amount of the coherent light that is removed from the incident light. A translation stage (120) translates one of the mirrors to tune the system to change an amount of the coherent light that is removed from the incident light, where the incident light comprises incoherent light and the beam splitter, the mirrors and the detector comprise a Michelson interferometer. The computing device measures light transmitted through the interferometer. |
| Filed: 7/24/2020 |
| Application Number: US16937954A |
| Tech ID: SD 15014.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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