RU2565661C1 - Multipurpose laser projector - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: electricity.

SUBSTANCE: invention is related to light engineering and may be used for operation as a part of night vision systems. The projector comprises at least two laser emitters based on semiconductor heterostructures with p-n-transitions, optical system for formation of the joint radiation beam with objective lens and a unit of two totally reflecting prisms (TRP) installed at optical axis of the projector, system of thermal stabilization with facilities removing heat to the frame, and electronic power supply and control equipment. Laser emitters (LE) are placed inside the projector frame at distance from each other and are intercoupled optically and coupled to the objective lens by TRP individual for each LE thus forming an optical unit refracting radiation, which forms the joint laser beam of the preset divergence value together with the objective lens. Optical axes are maximally approached to each other, oriented in parallel to optical axis of the projector TRP; they generate matched radiation beams with parallel optical axes directed towards the objective lens. Optical axes of laser emitter may be oriented perpendicular to the projector optical axis. Laser emitters may be performed at heterostructures with p-n-transitions generating radiation in two spectral ranges in near infrared area with potential independent connection to power supply and control equipment.

EFFECT: increased output radiation power of the projector, increased divergence of the beam, expanding functionality due to change in spectral distribution of radiation, improvement of thermophysical parameters.

7 cl, 5 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to special lighting equipment, in particular to searchlights based on semiconductor injection lasers that generate radiation in the near infrared / IR / spectral region, functioning as part of active and active-passive night vision systems / START / and intended for illumination during search, observation remote objects, conducting targeted shooting, targeting, etc. in conditions of poor visibility, at night and at dusk / 1 /. Spotlights operate in pulsed or continuous modes and can also be used for laser location and optical communications.

Known laser illuminator / 2 /, designed to illuminate objects in the strategic offensive arms, also performing the functions of a range finder, operating in a pulsed mode, containing a laser emitter optically coupled to the lens, a control unit for the emitter and a power source.

The analogue does not disclose the possibilities of a laser emitter, however, the illuminator cannot provide a sufficiently high intensity and beam width and the possibility of changing the radiation spectrum when using a single emitter.

Known infrared spotlight / 3 /, partially implemented in the product PL-1/1, 4 /, containing assembled in the housing with an outlet, covered with a protective glass, optically paired with a semiconductor laser emitter and a lens, a thermal stabilization system of the emitter with heat transfer means to the housing, deflecting a system for a radiation beam mounted at the output of the lens, control units.

The disadvantages of the prototype are associated with the low output power of the laser emitter due to problems of its cooling, which forces us to use the formation of a very narrow radiation beam (0.75-1.5 °) to increase the axial radiation force, which provides search and detection of objects at increased distances up to 1 5 km.

In this case, when illuminating, there are problems of searching for objects at closer distances, for example, 300-600 m, in connection with which a deflector system is used in the projector, which significantly complicates the design and reduces the reliability of its operation.

The aim of the invention is to remedy these shortcomings, increase the output radiation modality while improving the thermophysical parameters of the searchlight, as well as expanding its functionality due to a controlled change in beam divergence and spectral composition of the radiation.

This goal is achieved by the fact that in a multipurpose laser projector containing a housing with an outlet, covered with a protective glass, with laser emitters based on semiconductor heterostructures with pn junctions assembled inside, an optical system for generating a radiation beam with a lens mounted on the optical axis of the projector, a system thermal stabilization with means of heat removal to the housing and electronic power and control equipment, two, three or more laser emitters are installed in the housing spotlight at a distance from each other with an optical coupling between an individual by total internal reflection prisms or mirrors individual collected near the focal plane of the lens, creating radiation beams associated with parallel optical axes directed to the lens, forming a combined laser beam illuminator predetermined divergence.

This goal is achieved by the fact that at least two laser emitters are installed in the housing with optical axes oriented perpendicular to the optical axis of the searchlight and located along the rays of the input faces of the individual for each emitter rotary rectangular prisms of total internal reflection, the output faces of which are as close as possible to each other in the focal plane of the lens, forming a combined beam of radiation on the lens.

The achievement of the goal is also facilitated by the fact that at least two laser emitters are installed in the casing with optical axes oriented parallel to the optical axis of the searchlight and perpendicular to the input faces of the rhombus type individual internal reflection prisms individual for each emitter, the output faces of which are as close as possible between by itself, forming a combined beam of radiation on the lens.

The goal is achieved by the fact that an additional laser emitter is installed in the housing on the optical axis of the searchlight with the output window of the optical resonator located near the focal plane of the lens with the possibility of outputting radiation through a slit formed by the edges of the output faces of the prisms of total internal reflection and the formation of a combined radiation beam to the lens.

The problem is also solved by the fact that the laser emitters are equipped with individual or group means of thermal stabilization and heat transfer to a housing having cooling means.

The solution to the problem is also ensured by the fact that at least one laser emitter is made in the form of a semiconductor heterostructure with a narrow-gap active layer based on gallium arsenide, conjugated with wide-gap layers of various types of conductivity, for example, nAl _x Ga _1-x As-pGaAs-pAl _x Ga _{1 -x} Al, generating radiation in the near infrared region of the spectrum, and is autonomously connected to electronic power and control equipment with the ability to operate in a pulsed or continuous mode autonomously or in conjunction with other emitters.

The goal is also achieved by the use of laser emitters made on heterostructures with p-n junctions, generating radiation in two spectral ranges of the near infrared region of the spectrum when the power and control equipment are independently connected to electronic equipment.

Preferred embodiments of laser spotlights are shown in the drawings.

Figa, b. Multipurpose laser floodlight with two laser emitters and rectangular prisms of total internal reflection / air defense /. Here: a / front view, b / side view / partially in section /.

Figa, b. The optical design of the spotlight shown in figure 1. Here: a / side view, b / top view.

Figure 3. Optical design of a searchlight with two rhombus air defense prisms and three laser emitters with parallel optical axes.

Shown in figa, b, the searchlight is made in a sealed enclosure 1 of a heat-conducting aluminum alloy with an outlet, covered by a protective glass 2 and a back cover 3.

Two laser emitters 4 are mounted in the casing, mounted at a distance from each other / on the upper and lower walls of the casing /, with optical communication between themselves and the lens 5 by means of individual prisms 6 and 7 of total internal reflection, which form an optical block assembled in a mandrel that refracts radiation 8 on the brackets on the longitudinal / optical / ZZ axis of the floodlight.

The conjugate radiation beams creating on the ZZ axis of the searchlight of prism 6 and 7, assembled near the focal plane of the lens 5, form together a single laser beam of the searchlight of a given divergence / shown by a dotted line /.

Beams of radiation directed to the input faces of the air defense prisms 6 and 7 to reduce losses can be formed into narrower beams using collimating nozzles on laser emitters / in FIG. not shown.

The mixing of the radiation of the laser emitters 4 with the formation of the combined beam is shown by dotted arrows in figa, b in two planes, as well as in figure 3.

A similar formation of radiation beams through the use of optical coupling of emitters can also be achieved using mirrors / in FIG. not shown.

In the first embodiment, the searchlights used rotary rectangular 6 and 7 air defense individual for each of the two laser emitters 4 with mirrored reflective faces 9, assembled in the mandrel 8 of the optical unit so that the optical axis of the output beams of the laser emitters 4 are as close as possible and oriented parallel optical axis ZZ floodlight / cm. figa and 2b / near the focal plane of the lens 5, ensuring the formation of the combined radiation beam on the lens in a scattering angle close to or slightly greater than the scattering angle of each emitter / ~ 30 ° / in the vertical plane and not exceeding the double scattering angle in the horizontal plane.

The second version of the searchlight / cm. figure 3 / involves the use of three laser emitters 10, 11 and 12 mounted in a housing with optical axes parallel to the optical axis ZZ of the searchlight, for two of which / 10 and 12 / the optical axes are perpendicular to the input faces of the individual emitters for said emitters located along the rays prisms of total internal reflection of the rhombus type 13 and 14, respectively. The output faces of these prisms are as close as possible to each other / as well as for the searchlight shown in Fig.2b / or form a gap between the edges of the output faces of these prisms to output the radiation beam when an additional laser emitter 11 is placed on the optical axis of the searchlight with the output window of the optical resonator, located near the focal plane of the lens 15, with the possibility of forming together with the emitters 10 and 12 a combined radiation beam to the specified lens / shown by dashed arrows in figure 3 /.

Laser emitters 4 and 10-12 of searchlights are equipped with individual means of thermal stabilization and heat transfer 16 to the housing 1 / cm. figb /, made with the possibility of conductive-convective cooling.

In this case, at least one or two laser emitters are made in the form of a semiconductor heterostructure with a narrow-gap active layer based on gallium arsenide, conjugated with wide-gap layers of various types of conductivity, for example, based on nAl _x Ga _1-x As-pGaAs-pAl _x Ga _{1 -x} Al, generating radiation in the near infrared region of the spectrum, and are autonomously connected to electronic equipment 17 power and control, assembled in the cover 3 with the possibility of simultaneous or separate operation in pulsed or continuous mode.

In embodiments of a multipurpose searchlight, laser emitters with different heterostructures with pn junctions can be used, which ensure its functioning with radiation generation in two spectral ranges of the near infrared region of the spectrum, for example, at wavelengths λ ~ 0.82-0.84 μm of the IDL100S series -830 or λ ~ 0.96-0.99 microns of the IDL100S-980/4 / series, to exclude the possible unmasking of the spotlights during operation with autonomous connection to power and control electronics 17.

Thus, the inclusion of two laser emitters simultaneously allows you to double the output radiation power and at the same time increase the divergence of the radiation beam of the searchlight.

Alternative independent inclusion of laser emitters, for example 10 and 11, generating radiation beams in spectral ranges with a modified composition of the radiation of the searchlight expands its functionality.

Spatial dispersion of laser emitters in the spotlight housing simplifies the construction of an individual or general thermal stabilization system, improves its thermophysical parameters.

Literature.

1. Basov Yu.G., Rakviashvili A.G., Sysun V.V. Special lighting equipment. Minsk, IC BSU, 2008, p. 193-197.

2. Pat. RF №2061194, class F21L 14/02. Publ. 05/27/96. Bull. No. 15. Laser illuminator. Medvedev A.V. and etc.

3. Pat. RF №2300699, cl. F21S 8/00. Publ. 06/10/2007. Bull. No. 16. Infrared floodlight. Biryulin V.E. and etc.

4. Volkov V. Laser semiconductor emitters for night vision devices. J. Semiconductor lighting technology, No. 1, 2012, p. 48.

Claims (7)

1. A multi-purpose laser projector containing a housing with an exit opening covered by a protective glass with laser emitters assembled inside based on semiconductor heterostructures with pn junctions, an optical system for generating a radiation beam with a lens mounted on the optical axis of the projector, a thermal stabilization system with heat removal means on the housing and electronic power supply and control equipment, characterized in that two, three or more laser emitters are installed in the housing of the searchlight at a distance from each other with an optical coupling between an individual by total internal reflection prisms or mirrors individual collected near the focal plane of the lens, creating radiation beams associated with parallel optical axes directed to the lens, forming a combined laser beam illuminator predetermined divergence. 2. The multi-purpose laser spotlight according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two laser emitters are installed in the housing with optical axes oriented perpendicular to the optical axis of the spotlight and the input faces of the rotary rectangular prisms of total internal reflection individual for each emitter, the output faces of which are as close as possible to each other in the focal plane of the lens, forming a combined beam of radiation on the specified lens. 3. The multi-purpose laser spotlight according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two laser emitters are installed in the housing with optical axes oriented parallel to the optical axis of the spotlight and perpendicular to the input faces of the individual internal prism of the total diamond reflection prism type for each emitter , the output faces of which are as close as possible to each other, forming a combined beam of radiation on the lens. 4. The multipurpose laser searchlight according to claim 1, characterized in that in the housing on the optical axis of the searchlight an additional laser emitter is installed with an output window of the optical resonator located near the focal plane of the lens with the possibility of outputting radiation through a slit formed by the edges of the output faces of the prisms of total internal reflection , and the formation of the combined radiation beam on the lens. 5. The multi-purpose laser spotlight according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the laser emitters are equipped with individual or group means of thermal stabilization and heat transfer to the body of the spotlight having cooling capabilities. 6. The multi-purpose laser spotlight according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one laser emitter is made in the form of a semiconductor heterostructure with a narrow-gap active layer based on gallium arsenide, conjugated with wide-gap layers of various types of conductivity nAl _x Ga _1-x As-pGaAs -pAl _x Ga _1-x Al, generating radiation in the near infrared region of the spectrum, and is autonomously connected to electronic power and control equipment with the possibility of working together with other emitters or autonomous in pulsed or continuous mode. 7. The multipurpose laser searchlight according to claim 1, characterized in that the laser emitters are used, made on heterostructures with n-p junctions, generating radiation in two spectral ranges of the near infrared region of the spectrum with independent connection to power and control electronic equipment.

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