Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
304 words
A method of producing a substantially collimated beam of electromagnetic energy having substantially the same selected predetermined orientation of a chosen component of electromagnetic wave field vectors and a substantially uniform flux intensity substantially across the beam of electromagnetic energy, comprising: [a] providing a substantially collimated beam of electromagnetic energy having a predetermined range of wavelengths; [b] resolving from the substantially collimated beam of electromagnetic energy a substantially collimated first resolved beam of electromagnetic energy having substantially a first selected predetermined orientation of a chosen component of the electromagnetic wave field vectors and a substantially collimated second resolved beam of electromagnetic energy having substantially a second selected predetermined orientation of a chosen component of the electromagnetic wave field vectors, whereby the first and second selected predetermined orientation of the chosen component of the electromagnetic wave field vectors are different from one another; [c] intercepting the second resolved beam at a first location along the beam optical path and shifting the field vector orientation by a first non-zero increment to produce a first phase shifted resolved beam; [d] intercepting the first phase shifted resolved beam at a second location along the beam optical path spaced apart from the first location and shifting the field vector orientation by a second non-zero increment to produce a second phase shifted resolved beam having a field vector matching the field vector of the first resolved beam; and [e] redirecting and combining the first resolved beam and the second phase shifted resolved beam into a single composite beam to form a substantially collimated single beam of electromagnetic energy having substantially the same selected predetermined orientation of a chosen component of electromagnetic wave field vectors substantially across the substantially collimated single beam of electromagnetic energy and a substantially uniform flux intensity substantially across the substantially collimated single beam of electromagnetic energy.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
304 words
A method of producing a substantially collimated beam of electromagnetic energy having substantially the same selected predetermined orientation of a chosen component of electromagnetic wave field vectors and a substantially uniform flux intensity substantially across the beam of electromagnetic energy, comprising: [a] providing a substantially collimated beam of electromagnetic energy having a predetermined range of wavelengths; [b] resolving from the substantially collimated beam of electromagnetic energy a substantially collimated first resolved beam of electromagnetic energy having substantially a first selected predetermined orientation of a chosen component of the electromagnetic wave field vectors and a substantially collimated second resolved beam of electromagnetic energy having substantially a second selected predetermined orientation of a chosen component of the electromagnetic wave field vectors, whereby the first and second selected predetermined orientation of the chosen component of the electromagnetic wave field vectors are different from one another; [c] intercepting the second resolved beam at a first location along the beam optical path and shifting the field vector orientation by a first non-zero increment to produce a first phase shifted resolved beam; [d] intercepting the first phase shifted resolved beam at a second location along the beam optical path spaced apart from the first location and shifting the field vector orientation by a second non-zero increment to produce a second phase shifted resolved beam having a field vector matching the field vector of the first resolved beam; and [e] redirecting and combining the first resolved beam and the second phase shifted resolved beam into a single composite beam to form a substantially collimated single beam of electromagnetic energy having substantially the same selected predetermined orientation of a chosen component of electromagnetic wave field vectors substantially across the substantially collimated single beam of electromagnetic energy and a substantially uniform flux intensity substantially across the substantially collimated single beam of electromagnetic energy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step [e] includes the step of forming the single beam of electromagnetic energy into a beam having a rectangular cross sectional area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
100 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step [b] includes the step of resolving from the substantially collimated beam of electromagnetic energy a substantially collimated first resolved beam of electromagnetic energy and a substantially collimated second resolved beam of electromagnetic energy further having a substantially uniform flux intensity substantially across the beam of electromagnetic energy and wherein step [c] further includes the step of forming the substantially collimated single beam of electromagnetic energy into a beam having substantially the same uniform flux intensity substantially across the beam of electromagnetic energy as that of each of the resolved beams of electromagnetic energy.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step [c] includes the step of shifting the field vector orientation of the second resolved beam by forty-five degrees and wherein step [d] includes the step of shifting the field vector orientation of the second phase shifted resolved beam by forty-five degrees.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 4 wherein step [c] includes the step of redirecting the first phase shifted resolved beam relative to the second resolved beam and wherein step [d] includes the step of redirecting the second phase shifted resolved beam relative to the first phase shifted resolved beam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the step of redirecting the first phase shifted resolved beam is implemented by a first reflector and wherein the step of redirecting the second phase shifted resolved beam is implemented by a second reflector.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the first reflector includes a thin film coating for shifting the field vector orientation of the second resolved beam and wherein the second reflector includes a thin film coating for shifting the field vector orientation of the first phase shifted resolved beam.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 including the further step of removing from at least one of the first or second resolved beams a predetermined range of wavelengths.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 8 including the step of directing the removed portion to an absorption means.