IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,298,542
Granted Patent B2
US 12,298,542 · App. 17/555,509 · Granted May 13, 2025

Optical probe

Inventors: Chy-Lin Wang (Hsinchu County, TW); Chi-Shen Chang (Hsinchu County, TW); Yuan-Chin Lee (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
G02B5/1814G02B3/06G02B5/1871
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,298,542
App. No.
17/555,509
Granted
May 13, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical probe includes a cylindrical lens adapted to receive and transmit incident light. A light-emitting surface of the cylindrical lens is a curved end surface having a concentric ring-shaped diffractive microstructure. A working position of the optical probe is a position where a diffraction order is 1 when the incident light having a design wavelength between a first wavelength and a second wavelength passes through the diffractive microstructure. When passing through the cylindrical lens, the incident light having the first wavelength produces a diffraction effect with the diffractive microstructure and is converged at a first wavelength working position approximately the same as the working position of the optical probe with the diffraction order of 1. After being refracted by the curved end surface, the incident light having the second wavelength is converged at a second wavelength working position approximately the same as the working position of the optical probe.

Claims (24)

1. An optical probe, comprising:

a cylindrical lens, adapted to receive and transmit an incident light, wherein a light-emitting surface of the cylindrical lens is a curved end surface, and the curved end surface has a concentric ring-shaped diffractive microstructure; and

a reflector, wherein the cylindrical lens comprises two cylindrical lenses, and the reflector is disposed between the cylindrical lenses to form an L-shaped appearance,

wherein a working position of the optical probe is a position where a diffraction order is 1 when the incident light having a design wavelength passes through the diffractive microstructure;

when the incident light having a first wavelength passes through the cylindrical lens, the incident light produces a diffraction effect with the diffractive microstructure and is converged at a first wavelength working position with the diffraction order of 1, and the first wavelength working position and the working position of the optical probe are approximately the same; and

after the incident light having a second wavelength is refracted by the curved end surface of the cylindrical lens, the incident light is converged at a second wavelength working position, and the second wavelength working position is approximately the same as the working position of the optical probe,

wherein the design wavelength is between the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

2. The optical probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a deviation of the first wavelength working position from the working position of the optical probe is less than 10 μm, and a deviation of the second wavelength working position from the working position of the optical probe is less than 10 μm.

3. The optical probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first wavelength λ 1 of the incident light is 750 nm to 1250 nm, and the second wavelength λ 2 of the incident light is 1200 nm to 1700 nm.

4. The optical probe as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the design wavelength λ 0 of the diffractive microstructure and the first wavelength λ 1 satisfy a following condition: 0.63<λ 0 /λ 1 <1.25, wherein diffraction efficiency of the incident light having the first wavelength is >80%.

5. The optical probe as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a height h of the diffractive microstructure satisfies a following condition: 1.29 μm<h<1.75 μm.

6. The optical probe as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a phase coefficient C 1 of a phase profile of the diffractive microstructure satisfies a following condition: C 1 >0.011.

7. The optical probe as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a focal length f 2 of the diffractive microstructure satisfies a following condition: f 2 >−50 mm.

8. The optical probe as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a focal length f 1 of the curved end surface of the cylindrical lens satisfies a following condition: f 1 >0.8 mm.

9. The optical probe as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a total focal length f of the optical probe and a focal length f 1 of the curved end surface of the cylindrical lens satisfy a following condition: f/f 1 >1.1, wherein the total focal length f of the optical probe is a total focal length obtained after combination of the curved end surface of the cylindrical lens and the diffractive microstructure.

10. The optical probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first wavelength λ 1 of the incident light is 950 nm to 1700 nm, and the second wavelength λ 2 of the incident light is 750 nm to 950 nm.

11. The optical probe as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the design wavelength λ 0 of the diffractive microstructure and the first wavelength λ 1 satisfy a following condition: 0.7<λ 0 /λ 1 <1.68, wherein diffraction efficiency of the incident light having the first wavelength is >80%.

12. The optical probe as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a height h of the diffractive microstructure satisfies a following condition: 1.93 μm<h<3.15 μm.

13. The optical probe as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a phase coefficient C 1 of a phase profile of the diffractive microstructure satisfies a following condition: C 1 <−0.01.

14. The optical probe as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a focal length f 2 of the diffractive microstructure satisfies a following condition: f 2 <50 mm.

15. The optical probe as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a focal length f 1 of the curved end surface of the cylindrical lens satisfies a following condition: f 1 <0.8853 mm.

16. The optical probe as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a total focal length f of the optical probe and a focal length f 1 of the curved end surface of the cylindrical lens satisfy a following condition: f/f 1 <0.982, wherein the total focal length f of the optical probe is a total focal length obtained after combination of the curved end surface of the cylindrical lens and the diffractive microstructure.

17. The optical probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a height H of the curved end surface satisfies a following condition: 0.06 mm<H<0.2 mm.

18. The optical probe as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second reflector disposed behind the curved end surface of the cylindrical lens, wherein the incident light is reflected and turned by the second reflector after leaving the cylindrical lens.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2021
From: WANG, CHY-LIN; CHANG, CHI-SHEN; LEE, YUAN-CHIN
To: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Reel/Frame 058438/0751 →
Priority Claims (1)
TW 110139150 · Oct 21, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230127319A1 · Apr 27, 2023
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