Blooming Auto Collimator

This invention is drawn to the field of optics, and more particularly, to a novel blooming auto collimator.

In many applications including optical alignment, surveying, tracking, and pointing, and remote sensing, optical auto collimators are employed to provide a signal indication of the relative alignment of outgoing and return optical and laser beams, and of the relative alignment of optical and other components. The heretofore known laser auto collimators typically employ a collimated laser beam that is directed from one location along an optical path toward a spatially remote, second location. The collimated laser beam is incident upon a mirror or other reflecting surface at the second location, and is reflected therefrom back upon a sensor at the first location that is operative to provide a signal indication of the azimuthal and/or elevational deviation of the return beam from optical null. However, the utility of the known auto collimators is limited by the spatial resolution sensitivity of the sensor, which often presents a material limitation in applications calling for extremely precise alignment. In addition, air convection and other medium phenomenon induce undesirable distortions in both the outgoing and the reflected return beams that can produce erroneous signal indications of relative alignment.

The blooming auto collimator of the present invention overcomes these and other disadvantages and contemplates means operative to greatly amplify the actual relative misalignment in a manner that is substantially free of undesirable propagation medium-induced distortions. The blooming auto collimator of the present invention includes an elongated misalignment amplifier having a blooming medium that is positioned along an optical path defined between first and second spaced-apart locations, a source of comparatively high-energy coherent light at the first location for directing a beam of converging rays of comparatively high-energy coherent light along the optical path toward the second location and focussed at a point along the long axis of the blooming medium, a source of comparatively low-energy coherent light at the second location for directing a beam of collimated rays of comparatively low-energy coherent light along the optical path reciprocally back through the blooming medium toward the first location, and a sensor at the first location operative in response to the beam of comparatively low-energy coherent light for providing an extremely sensitive signal indication of the amplified relative colinear misalignment of the high and of the low-energy beams along the reciprocal optical path. The high-energy beam heats the blooming medium along its path, producing a density gradient therealong having a central, comparatively low-density region, and a surrounding, comparatively high-density region that defines a negative lens. In the case where the high and the low-energy beams are colinearly aligned along the reciprocal optical path, the low-energy beam traverses the central, comparatively low-density region and is symmetrically diverged thereby producing a symmetrical annular image on the sensor that is indicative of colinear alignment. In the case where the comparatively high-energy and low-energy beams are even slightly out of relative colinear alignment along the reciprocal optical path, the comparatively low-energy beam traverses both the central low-density region and the surrounding high-density region of the blooming medium. The negative lens defined by the density gradient in the misalignment amplifier deviates the low-energy beam by a large number multiple of the actual relative misalignment, distorts the low-energy beam, and produces a crescent-shaped image on the sensor whose centroid is shifted much more than the actual relative misalignment between the two beams. The blooming medium can be any suitable fluid in either liquid or gas phase. Both pulsed and continuous operation of the high and the low-energy beams can be employed. A reflector can be provided at the second location for providing a return beam back through the misalignment amplifier.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent as the invention becomes better understood by referring to the following exemplary and nonlimiting detailed description of the preferred embodiment, and to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a typical prior art auto collimator;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a blooming auto collimator according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the blooming medium of the blooming auto collimator according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the image of the low-energy beam on the sensor in the case where the high and low-power beams are in colinear alignment of the blooming auto collimator according to the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the image on the sensor in the case where the high and the low-power beams are out of colinear alignment of the blooming auto collimator according to the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, generally designated at 10 is a block diagram illustrating a prior art laser auto collimator 10. The heretofore known auto collimator 10 includes a laser 12 mounted to a platform 14. A platform 16 to be aligned is in spaced-apart relation to the platform 14. A reflector 18, rotatable about orthogonal axes generally designated 20, is mounted to the platform 16. To obtain an indication of the relative alignment of the platforms 14, 16, a laser beam is directed by the laser source 12 through a beam splitter 22, mounted to the platform 14, and onto the reflector 18 over an optical path 23, and is reflected therefrom back toward the platform 14 at an angle that depends upon the relative orientation of the reflector 18 about the axes 20. The reflected light is reflected by the beam splitter 22 onto a sensor 26, typically a quadrant cell, that is mounted to the platform 14. The position of the image of the reflected beam on the sensor 26 relative to optical null provides an indication of the relative alignment of the platforms 14, 16. As discussed in the background of the invention, however, the utility of such systems is limited, among other things, by the spatial resolution sensitivity of the sensor 26, and by turbulence and other undesirable medium phenomenon in the propagation path 23 between the two platforms 14, 16.

Referring now to FIG. 2, generally shown at 30 is a block diagram illustrating a novel blooming auto collimator according to the present invention. The blooming auto collimator 30 includes a misalignment amplifier generally designated 32 having a housing 34 that defines an enclosed chamber. A blooming medium 36 is disposed in the chamber. The blooming medium 36 preferably includes water, although it will be appreciated that any other suitable fluid in liquid or gas phase can be employed as well.

The misalignment amplifier 32 is positioned intermediate a first platform 36 and a second platform 38 that are to be aligned. A high-power laser 40 is mounted to the platform 36, and a low-power sensor 42 is mounted to the platform 36. A low-power laser 44 is mounted to the platform 38, and either a power dump, or a high-power laser sensor 46, is mounted to the platform 38.

The high-power laser 40 is operative in the usual manner to provide a beam 48 of converging rays of comparatively high energy coherent light through the misalignment amplifier and toward the platform 38. The beam 48 is preferably prefocussed at a point 50 in the blooming medium 36 along the long axis of the misalignment amplifier 32. The rays 48 define an optical path between the platforms 36, 40 which converges to the point 50, and diverges thereafter due to the blooming effect of the blooming medium 36. The beam of comparatively high-power coherent light 48 exits the misalignment amplifier 32 and is incident on a beam splitter 52 mounted to the platform 38. The splitter 52 deviates the beam 48 in the direction of a mirror 54 that is mounted to the platform 38. The mirror 54 deviates the comparatively high-energy laser beam into the power dump 46.

The low-power laser 44 is operative in the usual manner to provide a comparatively low-energy beam of collimated coherent light through the misalignment amplifier 32 and toward the platform 36. The beam of collimated coherent light provided by the low-power laser 44 passes through the blooming medium 36 of the amplifier 32, and is incident on a beam splitter 56, mounted to the platform 36, which deviates the low-energy beam onto the surface of a mirror 58, also mounted to the platform 36. The low-power beam is deviated by the mirror 58 onto the low-power sensor 42. Preferably, the output beams of the high and the low-power lasers 40, 44 are continuously generated, although the output beams of one or both may be pulsed without departing from the inventive concept.

In traversing the misalignment amplifier 32, the beam of converging rays of coherent, comparatively high-energy laser light 48 thermally excites the blooming medium 36 in its path. The heated medium expands, producing an elongated, central column of comparatively low-density fluid that is surrounded by an elongated annulus of cooler and comparatively higher-density fluid. As shown by a curve 60 in FIG. 3, plotted in a Cartesian coordinate system where fluid density is the ordinate and radial position in the misalignment amplifier 32 is the abscissa, a density gradient is produced in the blooming medium 36. The optical refractive index of the blooming medium depends on its density. The density gradient 60 produces a negative lens in the blooming medium 36 of the misalignment amplifier 32.

In the case where the beam of collimated rays of coherent, comparatively low-energy laser light produced by the low-power laser 44 traverses the blooming medium 36 in the misalignment amplifier 32 in colinear alignment with the optical path traversed by the beam of converging rays of coherent, comparatively high energy laser light 48, the low-power beam is substantially uniformly refracted by the comparatively low-density region in the blooming medium and symmetrically diverges, forming an annular beam. The annular beam is deviated by the members 56, 58 onto the low-power sensor 42. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the image of the low-power beam on the sensor 42 when the low and high-power beams are colinearly aligned is an annulus of light 62 surrounding a central, dark region 64 that is centered on a null reference position designated by the coordinates 66.

In the case where the low and the high-power beams are in relative colinear misalignment, the low-power beam traverses both the low and high-density regions of the blooming medium 36 along the length thereof. The negative lens effect of the blooming medium non-uniformly refracts and asymmetrically diverges the low-power beam outwardly by a large number multiple of the actual relative colinear misalignment, thereby amplifying the actual relative spacial misalignment. As shown in FIG. 5, the image of the low-power beam on the sensor 42 in this case is distorted from the annulus 62 (FIG. 4) into a crescent shape 68, where the centroid of the crescent 68 is displaced from a null reference position 70 by a large number multiple of the actual relative misalignment. The sensor 42 thereby is capable of resolving extremely small relative misalignments of the high and low-power laser beams, and provides an extremely sensitive signal indication of the relative misalignment. It is to be noted that any other suitable means for providing a low-power beam reciprocally back along the long axis of the misalignment amplifier, such as a reflecting surface at the second location, can be employed as well without departing from the inventive concept.

It will be appreciated that many modifications of the presently disclosed invention will become apparent to those skiled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.