JPS5879201A - Protected surface for inner fully reflecting element - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an optical element used for changing the direction of a beam, and has a reflection table oriented so as to control the direction of transmitted energy beams and send them out. Related to optical elements.

The use of front reflective elements, back reflective elements, and all-inverted V elements is well known to be useful in optical beam reflection techniques. However, if the beam intensity is more modest, comparable to that received from a high-energy laser, conventional elements may not provide enough power to re-reflect the beam in its direction. I can't.

For front reflective elements, metallized reflective surfaces are not suitable as they would be destroyed by the high energy beam.
Thus, while the front side is highly reflective of the dielectric, it has been found that such multilayer coatings change the reflection cap of the beam as they reflect the orthogonally polarized components of the beam with increasing efficiency. It has also been found that if the 11m reflective surface becomes dirty, the multilayer coating will be destroyed as the high energy beams are absorbed by the contamination.

l! Retroreflector with anti-reflection coating on 1v11 and multi-layer reflective coating on the rear! They also reflect orthogonally polarized components of the beam with different efficiencies. Furthermore, ghost reflections also occur due to multiple reflections between parallel surfaces of the elements.

The ruts currently used between high-energy laser beams are also s! One reflection method is total internal reflection (total internal reflection).
For example, a right-angled prism has an anti-reflection coating on both the entry and exit faces, a polished trailing side, a blade The surfaces are not l-chipped in order to use such prisms as a means of reflecting high energy beams.

Great care must be taken to keep the rear surface clean and free of contaminants; keeping the rear surface in such a condition prevents leakage of energy at the air-glass interface threshold. In the past, total internal reflection elements were used only in clean, proven environments where contamination levels could be well controlled, as extreme cleanliness was considered a "total waste".

The present invention provides an internal gold pot reflective element suitable for use in high energy laser beam directing applications in an external environment.

According to the present invention, in order to prevent dust, noodles, and other zero contaminants from coming into contact with the total internal reflection surface of the prism, a sealing W envelope is provided to cover the external side of the total internal reflection surface of the prism. . The enclosure is filled with a clean, non-saponifiable gas, such as nitrogen gas, to maintain the total reflective surface clean at all times unless the seal of the enclosure is compromised.

1st mrp=irt, pu'j incorporating book *1*, ¥A
10 is shown in cross-section. The prism 1o is formed of a solid body of optical glass and is located in mutually orthogonal planes. A highly polished total internal reflection surface 20 is disposed on the hypotenuse of the triangle defined by the edge of the surface 22 and the edge of the surface 24 having highly polished transparent surfaces 22 and 24. 0 surface 20, which extends along the − of prism 10 in an interleaving relationship with surface 22.24, is located at plane 2.
2.24, thus presenting a right angle reflector for an incoming radiation beam entering planes 22 or 24 at right angles.

In the ls1 diagram, the beam is shown as a beam incident at right angles to the plane 24 and enters the prism 10. Beam B is the outgoing I-incident beam and is also incident at right angles to surface 22.

Surfaces 22 and 24 to prevent background reflections into the light source.
Both have reflective coating.

Of course, the reflection of Bi, =^ takes place at the air/glass interface of one surface 20, and the uncoated interface is within about 10 wavelengths of light from the surface 20 at a distance mg of dust, moisture, - It continues as a pure reflection of the beam unless disturbed by noodles or other particles.

The present invention provides a cover sO for enclosing a part of the internal total reflection table 11120). The cover 30 can be easily and hermetically joined to the prism 10, and.

space 28 from the total internal reflection part of Table 20 at least about 1
The cover 50 may be made of any material as long as it has sufficient rigidity to maintain a thickness of 0 wavelengths. Prism 10
glass, and round glass may also be carved or formed of any other material having sufficient smoothness and amphoteric properties to meet the requirements set forth above.

The cover 30 is formed of cedar in a recessed IN envelope with an edge (7 tensi) hermetically sealed to the surface 2o.
In this shaping, the material plate of the cover 50 is sandblasted or milled.

Or a slope cut down to a certain depth by acid corrosion.

This can be done by creating the upper part 26 of the space 28. Form a small purge @27 on the edge of the cover 30, for example in diagonally opposite corners. After thoroughly cleaning both the prism 10 and the prism cover 30, cover with non-gassing source epoxy cement. The edge of the plate 50 is sealed to the prism 10.Next, a non-oxidizing gas such as chlorine is introduced into the space 28 through one barge N1127, and the air in the space 28 is drained from the other purge @'27. Purge and fill each groove 27 with a drop of epoxy to seal the sections.

The five present inventions have been described above in connection with the embodiments.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments and embodiments illustrated herein, but is capable of various embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications and modifications can be made. Cross-sectional view of 1fi4,
2nd w! J is the decomposed transmission ll11g of the optical element shown in FIG.

10: Prism 20: Total internal reflection surface 22.24: Translucent surface 28: Space 50: Cover \-7

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) In an optical device equipped with a total internal reflection surface for optically transmitting electromagnetic energy, a miscellaneous maintenance device for maintaining the total internal reflection surface in a clean state free from contaminants. An optical device characterized by comprising means. 2) The pre-serving means defines a sealed atmosphere of a non-saponifiable atmosphere external to said totally internally reflecting surface, said atmosphere being in a direction perpendicular to said totally reflecting surface. 5. The optical device of claim 51, wherein the optical device has a thickness equal to at least about 10 wavelengths of said energy. 3) The tampering means is sealed and bonded to a portion of the external side of the total internal reflection surface, and defines the space as an area directed for total reflection of energy in the device. 4) The axillary device is a total internal reflection prism having an entrance surface and an exit narrow plane located in planes perpendicular to each other; The optical device according to claim 3, wherein the total internal reflection surface intersects the wrinkle entrance surface and the wrinkle exit surface at equal angles. 5) The space of the non-oxidizing atmosphere is filled with nitrogen I 6. An optical device according to claim 4, which is an atmospheric space. 6) a first surface oriented to transmit light; and a first surface for reflecting the transmitted light by total internal reflection. a total internal reflection prism having an uncoated second surface; a prevention means spaced a predetermined distance from the second surface to prevent contaminants from coming into contact with the second surface; 7) The prevention means has an edge portion tightly wrapped around the second surface, and has a thickness corresponding to at least about 10 wavelengths of light distribution. The prism according to claim 6, which is an enclosing body that defines a sealed space of uncontaminated non-dioxidizable gas.8〉' The prism according to claim 6, wherein the sealed space is filled with nitrogen gas. A prism according to item 117.