Patent ID: 6480662
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical attenuator comprising:an input optical path for an input beam of radiation; an output optical path receiving a beam of radiation from the input optical path; an optical element that transmits radiation, said element comprising a transparent substrate and an opaque layer thereon so that the radiation is transmitted only through areas of the substrate that are not covered by the opaque layer; an instrument moving said element along a direction that causes the beam to intercept a portion of the element interposed between the two paths, wherein the opaque layer forms a pattern such that intensity of radiation that is transmitted through the portion vanes with a dimension of the portion of the element along said direction, so that the amount of attenuation applied to the beam passing between the two paths is controllable by controlling the dimension of the portion of the element along said direction intercepted by the beam; wherein said pattern is in the form of an opaque layer with holes therein or an opaque layer in the form of dots, or both.