摘要:
A broadband thermal optical limiter for protecting a light-sensitive object from intense laser beams at all near ultraviolet, visible and near infrared wavelengths is disclosed. The broadband thermal optical limiter comprises: a sample cell containing a solution of broadband absorber material dissolved in a thermal solvent; and a first optical device for converging an incident laser beam into the sample cell. The sample cell is responsive to a converged incident laser beam below a predetermined intensity level for passing therethrough the converged incident laser beam below the predetermined intensity level. The sample cell is also responsive to a converged incident laser beam at or above a predetermined intensity level for thermally defocusing substantially all of the converged incident laser beam in different directions and passing therethrough only a remaining small portion of the converged incident laser beam at or above the predetermined intensity level. The broadband thermal optical limiter further includes a second optical device for focusing substantially all of the laser beam passing through the sample cell into the light-sensitive object to be protected. A collecting aperture may be disposed in front of the second optical device for substantially blocking all light deflected by the protective element and passing therethrough into the second optical device only a small portion of the focused incident light beam at or above the predetermined intensity level.
摘要:
A passive optical limiter for protecting a light-sensitive object from damage due to an incident light beam above a first predetermined value of light intensity is disclosed. The passive optical limiter comprises: a first lens for focusing an incident light beam to a focal point; a protective element disposed near the focal point, the protective element being responsive to a focused incident light beam below the first predetermined intensity level for passing therethrough the focused incident light beam below the first predetermined intensity level, the protective element being responsive to a focused incident light beam between the first predetermined intensity level and a higher second predetermined intensity level for deflecting substantially all of the focused incident light beam into rings of light and passing therethrough only a small portion of the converged incident light beam between the first and second predetermined intensity levels, and the protective element including a scattering element responsive to incident light at or above the second predetermined intensity level for scattering that incident light in all directions to decrease the intensity level of the incident light below a damage threshold of the light sensitive object; and a second lens for focusing substantially all of the light passing through the the protective element and the second lens onto the light-sensitive object.
摘要:
A broadband thermal optical limiter disposed between a laser oscillator and laser amplifier system for protecting optical components in the laser oscillator from damage due to amplified optical feedback from the laser amplifier system at all near ultraviolet, visible and near infrared wavelengths is disclosed. The thermal optical limiter comprises: a first lens for focusing the amplified optical feedback to a focal point on an optical axis; a flowing dye cell disposed near the focal point and being responsive to the focused amplified optical feedback for thermally defocusing and aberrating the focused amplified optical feedback into a plurality of rings about the optical axis; a second lens for passing only a small portion of the defocused amplified optical feedback; and a blocking aperture disposed around the second lens for blocking substantially all of the thermally defocused amplified optical feedback from the flowing dye cell and passing therethrough into the second lens only a small portion of the thermally defocused amplified optical feedback from the flowing dye cell.
摘要:
A system for protecting ships from attack by an infrared-seeking missile is provided which comprises decoying the missile by deploying an aerosol. In one embodiment, the aerosol merely scatters a modulated light beam. Another embodiment deploys particles that can undergo an exothermic photochemical reaction when initiated by an ultraviolet laser. The laser projects an image of the ship onto the aerosol and at the same time causes the particles to generate sufficient heat to attract the infrared-seeking missile away from the ship. This system presents an infrared-decoy target with a suitable infrared image of appropriate spatial scale to mislead a missile with imaging capability. The spectral content of the decoy's image resembles that of a blackbody 20.degree.-50 .degree. C. above ambient, and has a brightness and spatial extent equal to the largest ships, approximately 10 kw/steradian, in the 3-5 and 8-12 micrometer bands. The present invention is simple to use, rapidly deployed, and capable of presenting a decoy target that can last at least a minute or more.
摘要:
An optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeter system. An OSL reader configured to produce data indicative of a radiation exposure, one or more OSL dosimeters fabricated from a thermoluminescent material, a light stimulation source configured to stimulate the OSL dosimeter to produce luminescence emissions, and a light-detection system that measures the intensity of such luminescence emissions and converts the electrical signal to a binary string that can be processed by an appropriately programmed computer configured to analyze data from the reader and produce data indicative of an extent of radiation exposure. Dose information is obtained without requiring heating of the dosimeter. The dosimeter can be interrogated multiple times with minimal loss of dose information.
摘要:
Objects are marked for identification by a luminescent label including an optically stimulable glass having trapping centers and luminescence centers. The objects are marked by exposing the luminescent label to a radiation flux to populate metastable trapping centers in the luminescent label. The labels are read by exposing the label to a second radiation flux of optical radiation, to stimulate the release of trapped charges, causing the label to luminesce. The labels may also be read without previously populating these metastable trapping centers, by stimulating prompt luminescence through exposure to a flux of UV radiation. The label is made from an optically stimulable glass, where this glass has a glass matrix with defects, where these defects may be: (i) an alkaline earth sulfide, activator Sm ions, and an additional coactivator dopant (Eu or Ce); (ii) ZnS and activator ions (Cu, Pb, Mn, Ce, Eu, Ag, Au, or Fe); or (iii) activator ions without metal sulfides.
摘要:
An optical filter that uses multiple reflections to provide spectral bandpass filtering of ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation with a very high transmission of wavelengths within a selected passband coupled with exceptional off-band rejection. The reflection filter uses dielectric-coated spherical reflectors or mirrors manufactured with absorbing glass substrates. The multiple-pass feature of the reflection filter is achieved using a traditional long-path absorption cell such as a White Cell or Wilkes Cell. The light transmitted through the reflection filter is only that light which has undergone multiple reflections as the wavelengths of high mirror reflectivity reflect off the dielectric-coated substrates. All remaining light at wavelengths corresponding to high mirror transmission is attenuated by absorption in the mirror substrate. The degree of attenuation of light at wavelengths corresponding to high mirror transmission can be chosen simply by selecting an appropriate number of reflections in the multiple-pass reflection filter.
摘要:
Images are formed by exposing optically transparent, optically stimulable luminescent glasses including luminescent centers and trapping centers, to patterned, ionizing radiation. The images may be read immediately, using scintillation, or may be stored in the glasses for subsequent reading using optically stimulated detrapping of stored charges.
摘要:
An optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeter system. An OSL reader configured to produce data indicative of a radiation exposure, one or more OSL dosimeters fabricated from a thermoluminescent material, a light stimulation source configured to stimulate the OSL dosimeter to produce luminescence emissions, and a light-detection system that measures the intensity of such luminescence emissions and converts the electrical signal to a binary string that can be processed by an appropriately programmed computer configured to analyze data from the reader and produce data indicative of an extent of radiation exposure. Dose information is obtained without requiring heating of the dosimeter. The dosimeter can be interrogated multiple times with minimal loss of dose information.
摘要:
An apparatus for detecting a UV signal in the presence of background solar radiation comprises: a first filter system disposed along an optical axis being responsive to a light flux containing background solar radiation and a UV signal for passing UV light wavelengths below a selected UV wavelength and having a very sharp wavelength cutoff to substantially block wavelengths within a first selected wavelength band above the first selected UV wavelength; second and third filter systems serially disposed along the optical axis and tilted off the optical axis with respect to each other are selectively responsive to light from the first filter system for sequentially passing UV light wavelengths below the selected UV wavelength and substantially blocking visible light within the first selected wavelength band; a downconverter transforms the UV signal light from the third filter system to visible light in a second selected wavelength band; a dielectric coating disposed adjacent to the downconverter and between the third filter system and the downconverter for passing the UV signal light into the downconverter and for reflecting the visible light produced by the downconverter; a fourth filter system responsive to light from the downconverter for blocking all wavelengths greater than 700 nm that may have passed through the first, second and third filter systems and for passing therethrough the visible light in the second selected wavelength band; and a photomultiplier tube for detecting the visible light in the second selected wavelength band.