Patent ID: 8786862

Claim:
Apparatus for generating a scannable optical delay for a beam of light comprising first mirror optics ( 10 ) providing a pivotably driven mirror facing the incoming beam of light and second mirror optics ( 12 ) arranged for reflecting the beam of light reflected by the first mirror optics ( 10 ) so that the beam of light hits the first mirror optics ( 10 ) again, first lens optics ( 9 a ) arranged for focusing the incoming beam of light on the pivotably driven mirror and second lens optics ( 9 b ) located between the first and second mirror optics and arranged for collimating the beam of light reflected by the mirror of said first mirror optics ( 10 ) in more than one pivot positions of said pivotably driven mirror, characterized in that the first lens optics ( 9 a ) and second lens optics ( 9 b ) have the same focal lengths and are positioned in parallel, and the optical elements of the apparatus are arranged such that i) the beam of light does not pass through or reflect off of a dispersive element of the apparatus on the path between said first mirror optics ( 10 ) and said second mirror optics ( 12 ), and ii) the optical delay changes with the variation of the pivot position of the rotatable mirror ( 10 ).