Patent ID: 9007597
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: G01B,G02B,H01P,H03B,H03H,H04B

Abstract:
1. A time delay device for introducing a time delay into an optical beam, the optical beam being an optical carrier wave modulated with a lower frequency signal, the device comprising: an acousto-optic beam deflector adapted to control the beam deflection angle responsive to an applied tuning voltage; a lens positioned to image the optical beam onto the beam deflector such that the beam waist of the optical beam is located at the beam deflector; a stationary diffractive grating arranged in an optical path with the beam deflector; and a focusing element arranged between the beam deflector and the stationary diffractive grating, wherein in operation, the beam deflector directs the optical beam across a clear aperture of the focusing element, and the focusing element transmits the beam to the stationary diffractive grating, wherein a change in optical path length experienced by the optical beam as the beam moves across the grating surface results in a relative phase delay in the optical beam.