Compact optic delay lines using dual fiber collimators and roof prisms

1. An optical delay device, comprising:

a device housing;

a dual fiber collimator engaged to the device housing and structured to include (1) an input fiber line that receives and guides an input light beam, (2) an output fiber line that guides and exports an output light beam that has an optical delay relative to the input light beam, and (3) a collimating lens placed on one side of end facets of the input and output fiber lines to receive the input light beam from the input fiber line and to output the output beam light to the output fiber line;

an optical reflector placed inside the device housing and spaced from the dual fiber collimator to receive the input light beam and to reflect the input light beam back as the output light beam; and

a roof prism located in optical paths of the input light beam and the output light beam between the optical reflector and the dual fiber collimator to direct the input light beam from the dual fiber collimator towards the optical reflector and to direct the output light beam from the optical reflector towards the dual fiber collimator.

2. The device as in claim 1 , further comprising:

a positioning device engaged to the optical reflector to move a position of the optical reflector relative to the dual fiber collimator and the roof prism to change a delay in the output light beam.

3. The device as in claim 2 , wherein:

the positioning device includes a motor that causes the optical reflector to move in position.

4. The device as in claim 2 , wherein:

the positioning device includes a manually operated device to cause the optical reflector to move in position by a manual operation of a person.

5. The device as in claim 1 , wherein:

the optical reflector includes a corner cube to cause retro reflection of the input light beam to produce the output light beam.

6. The device as in claim 1 , wherein:

the optical reflector includes a cat eye reflector to cause retro reflection of the input light beam to produce the output light beam.

7. An optical delay device, comprising:

a device housing;

a dual fiber collimator engaged to the device housing and structured to include (1) an input fiber line that receives and guides an input light beam, (2) an output fiber line that guides and exports an output light beam that has an optical delay relative to the input light beam, and (3) a collimating lens placed on one side of end facets of the input and output fiber lines to receive the input light beam from the input fiber line and to output the output beam light to the output fiber line;

an optical reflector placed inside the device housing and spaced from the dual fiber collimator to receive the input light beam and to reflect the input light beam back as the output light beam;

a roof prism located in optical paths of the input light beam and the output light beam between the optical reflector and the dual fiber collimator to direct the input light beam from the dual fiber collimator towards the optical reflector and to direct the output light beam from the optical reflector towards the dual fiber collimator; and

an actuator engaged to cause a relative movement between the optical reflector and the dual fiber collimator to change a delay in the output light beam.

8. The device as in claim 7 , wherein:

the optical reflector includes a corner cube to cause retro reflection of the input light beam to produce the output light beam.

9. The device as in claim 7 , wherein:

the optical reflector includes a cat eye reflector to cause retro reflection of the input light beam to produce the output light beam.

10. The device as in claim 7 , further comprising:

the actuator is a motorized actuator engaged to the optical reflector to move a position of the optical reflector relative to the dual fiber collimator.

11. A method for causing an adjustable optical delay in light, comprising:

using a dual fiber collimator that includes (1) an input fiber line to receive and guide an input light beam to be processed to cause an optical delay, (2) an output fiber line to guide and export an output light beam that has been delayed with an optical delay relative to the input light beam, and (3) a collimating lens placed on one side of end facets of the input and output fiber lines to receive the input light beam from the input fiber line and to output the output beam light to the output fiber line;

using an optical reflector spaced from the dual fiber collimator to receive the input light beam from the input fiber line and to reflect the input light beam back with the optical delay as the output light beam into the output fiber line;

using a roof prism located in optical paths of the input light beam and the output light beam between the optical reflector and the dual fiber collimator to direct the input light beam from the dual fiber collimator towards the optical reflector and to direct the output light beam from the optical reflector towards the dual fiber collimator; and

causing a relative movement between the optical reflector and the dual fiber collimator to change an amount of the optical delay in the output light beam.

12. The method as in claim 11 , comprising:

using a corner cube as the optical reflector to cause retro reflection of the input light beam to produce the output light beam.

13. The method as in claim 11 , comprising:

using a cat eye reflector the optical reflector to cause retro reflection of the input light beam to produce the output light beam.

14. The method as in claim 11 , comprising:

deploying an assembly of the dual fiber collimator, the optical reflector and the roof prism in each of different optical delay lines in a system.

15. The method as in claim 11 , wherein the system includes a phased array systems.