Research/Patents/US 5561541
US 5561541Tier 3 — General Defense

FRUSTRATED TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION OPTICAL POWER LIMITER

Assignee

US Government

Filed as: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY

Filed

Sep 5, 1984

Granted

Oct 1, 1996

Location

FORT WASHINGTON MD US

Abstract

In order to protect a delicate photodetector from high-intensity radiation, such as from a laser, a device for limiting optical power to the detector is interposed between the radiation and the detector. This device has an optical interface that totally reflects high-intensity radiation, but which freely transmits normal (low intensity) radiation to the detector. The interface is between two optical materials, one with a linear index of refraction with respect to radiation intensity, and the other with a non-linear index. At low intensity radiation levels, the two materials have the same indices of refraction, and such radiation is freely transmitted through the interface, but with high-intensity radiation, a mismatch of indices of refraction allows total reflection at the interface.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Imposed

Mar 18, 1987

Rescinded

Dec 17, 1993

Duration

6 years, 9 months

Inventor

  • 1EDWARD J. SHARP

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Back to patent indexSource: USPTO 35 USC §181 secrecy order records