Patent ID: 7542636
Filing Date: 2009-06-02
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A method for making an optical apparatus, the method comprising: mounting first and second segments of a GRIN optical medium on a first substrate in at least one groove thereon, the first and second GRIN segments being longitudinally spaced apart from one another on the first substrate and having respective proximal and distal end faces, the first and second GRIN segments being arranged so as to enable a free-space optical beam to be received through the distal end face of the first GRIN segment so that the optical beam thus received (i) is transmitted through the proximal end face of the first GRIN segment, (ii) propagates to the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment, (iii) is received through the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment, and (iv) is transmitted as a free-space optical beam through the distal end face of the second GRIN segment; mounting the first substrate and the first and second GRIN segments on a second substrate with the first and second GRIN segments received in at least one groove on the second substrate; positioning an optical component between the proximal end faces of the first and second GRIN segments, the optical component having first and second end faces facing the proximal end faces of the first and second GRIN segments, respectively, so that the optical component is thereby arranged so that an optical beam propagating between the proximal end faces of the GRIN segments is transmitted through the first and second end faces of the optical component; positioning a first transmission optical element on the second substrate, the first transmission optical element having a proximal end face facing the distal end face of the first GRIN segment and being arranged so that a divergent optical beam emergent from the proximal end face of the first transmission optical element is received through the distal end face of the first GRIN segment; and positioning a second transmission optical element on the second substrate, the second transmission optical element having a proximal end face facing the distal end face of the second GRIN segment and being arranged so that a convergent optical beam emergent from the distal end face of the second GRIN segment is received through the proximal end face of the second transmission optical element.