device for combining / separation of stralknippen / a stralknippe of pulsed radiation

摘要

An optical commutation system for commutating pulsed radiation between a common path of relatively high pulse rate and plural, closed spaced, slowly diverging paths on which the pulses are distributed. The system may thus act as a combiner or decombiner. The system employs a reflective or refractive optical element which is driven to produce a very slight oscillation in the orientation of the refractive or reflective surface of the element typically ranging over only a few degrees. The angle of oscillation is kept as small as possible, being only large enough to resolve or separate the radiation pulses on the slowly diverging paths. The very slight angular variation between adjacent ones of the diverging paths permits a large number of beams to be packed together in the bundle of diverging paths, but because of the slight angular variation, only a small angular scan resulting from the he finite pulse duration is experienced. This can be kept well within acceptable limits for use with long path lengths.