Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
An interferometer for characterizing a wavefront which comprises a partially reflective mirror (PRM) defined by a partially reflective surface on which said wavefront is incident and through which said waveform is transmitted without deflection from a path along which said wavefront propagates, a phase conjugate mirror (PCM) along said path on which said waveform which is transmitted through said PRM is incident and from which the phase conjugate of said wavefront is reflected to form an interference pattern at said surface with the wavefront reflected by said PRM, and means for forming an image of said pattern.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
An interferometer for characterizing a wavefront which comprises a partially reflective mirror (PRM) defined by a partially reflective surface on which said wavefront is incident and through which said waveform is transmitted without deflection from a path along which said wavefront propagates, a phase conjugate mirror (PCM) along said path on which said waveform which is transmitted through said PRM is incident and from which the phase conjugate of said wavefront is reflected to form an interference pattern at said surface with the wavefront reflected by said PRM, and means for forming an image of said pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said image forming means is a relay lens.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
The interferometer according to claim 2 further comprising an observation plane, a beam splitter through which said wavefront is transmitted to said PRM and from which said pattern is deflected to said plane, said relay lens being disposed between said beam splitter and said plane for forming said image of said pattern on said plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The interferometer according to claim 3 wherein said observation plane is defined by a photoresponsive sensor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The interferometer according to claim 4 wherein said sensor is selected from the group consisting of a photosensitive film and TV camera.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said PRM is a light transmissive plate having a partially reflective planar surface which provides said partially reflective surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said PRM is a light transmissive body having a partially reflective surface which is a curved surface having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of said wavefront.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said wavefront eminates from an optical system under test having an exit pupil, said PRM is a lens which images said exit pupil on said PCM, said lens having a surface which is partially reflective facing said exit pupil.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The interferometer according to claim 8 wherein said lens is a plano-convex lens having a planar surface providing said partially reflective surface and which faces said exit pupil and a curved surface facing said PCM.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said PRM is provided by said PCM, said partially reflective surface being the surface of said PCM on which said waveform is incident.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said wavefront eminates from an optical system under test having an exit pupil which is spaced from said PRM a distance over which the diffraction of said wavefront can occur, and a lens between said exit pupil and said PRM which forms an image of said exit pupil on said partially reflective surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
The interferometer according to claim 11 further comprising a beam splitter between said lens and said PRM oriented to deflect light travelling in a direction from said partially reflective surface to an observation plane, said means for forming an image of said pattern being a relay lens between said beam splitter and said observation plane.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The interferometer according to claim 11 wherein said distance is greater than D 2 /lamda where D is the diameter of said exit pupil and lamda is the wavelength of the light of said wave front.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
94 words
The interferometer according to claim 12 further comprising means for generating said wavefront which includes a source of monochromatic light, means for collimating said light into a beam which is transmitted through said system under test and which eminates from the exit pupil thereof, said beam passing through said beam splitter and then through said PRM to said PCM, said beam being reflected by said PCM to form said pattern at said partially reflective surface and said beam being deflected by said beam splitter and imaged by said relay lens on said observation plane.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The interferometer according to claim 14 wherein said generating means further comprises a spatial filter between said source and said collimating means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The interferometer according to claim 15 wherein said generating means further comprises a Faraday isolator between said source and said spatial filter.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said partially reflective surface of said PRM is spaced immediately adjacent to said PCM.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein a laser provides the light forming said wavefront, said PRM being spaced less than the coherence length of the light from said laser from said PCM.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
46 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said PCM is crystal of photorefractive material having a c-axis and a surface on which said wavefront is incident, said c-axis being disposed within 30° of parallelism with the surface of said crystal on which said wavefront is incident.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The interferometer according to claim 1 wherein said crystal is of material selected from the group consisting of barium titanate and strontium barium niobate.