Claims
- 1. An imaging system comprising:
an optical microscope imaging means for providing an object wavefront that illuminates a vibrating surface of a subject and for directing a modulated object wavefront returned from the vibrating surface; and a photorefractive demodulation means for interfering a reference wavefront with the modulated object wavefront in a photorefractive material and for producing a full-field, real-time image signal of the vibrating surface.
- 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a switching means for selectively producing instead a single-point, real-time signal of the vibrating surface.
- 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical microscope imaging means comprises a wavefront expander means for expanding the object wavefront before illuminating the vibrating surface.
- 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical microscope imaging means comprises an optical microscope having a laser port through which the object wavefront enters the microscope and through which the modulated object wavefront exits the microscope.
- 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical microscope imaging means comprises an optical microscope having a laser port through which the object wavefront enters the microscope and having an illuminator port through which the modulated object wavefront exits the microscope.
- 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the optical microscope imaging means further comprises a compensation lens separate from the optical microscope that compensates for microscope optical component effects, the modulated object wavefront passing through the compensation lens after exiting the microscope and before interfering with the reference wavefront.
- 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the photorefractive demodulation means comprises an imaging lens through which the modulated object wavefront passes before reaching the photorefractive material.
- 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the photorefractive demodulation means comprises first and second one-half waveplates through which the reference and modulated object wavefronts pass, respectively, before interfering.
- 9. The system of claim 1 wherein the photorefractive demodulation means comprises a linear polarizer through which both the reference and modulated object wavefronts pass before interfering.
- 10. The system of claim 2 further comprising a calibration means for calibrating while producing a single-point, real-time signal.
- 11. The system of claim 1 wherein the reference and object wavefronts each comprise a laser beam.
- 12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a vibration means for applying an acoustic frequency of at least about 1 GHz.
- 13. The system of claim 1 further comprising an image signal acquisition subsystem.
- 14. The system of claim 11 further comprising a linear polarizer and an intensity adjusting filter through which the image signal passes before being acquired.
- 15. An imaging system comprising:
an object wavefront source and an optical microscope objective all positioned to direct an object wavefront onto an area of a vibrating subject surface encompassed by a field of view of the microscope objective, and to direct a modulated object wavefront reflected from the encompassed surface area through a photorefractive material; a reference wavefront source and at least one phase modulator all positioned to direct a reference wavefront through the phase modulator and to direct a modulated reference wavefront from the phase modulator through the photorefractive material to interfere with the modulated object wavefront; and the photorefractive material having a composition and a position such that interference of the modulated object wavefront and modulated reference wavefront occurs within the photorefractive material, providing a full-field, real-time image signal of the encompassed surface area.
- 16. The system of claim 14 further comprising a switching lens selectively removable from a path of the object wavefront to produce instead a single-point, real-time signal of the vibrating surface.
- 17. The system of claim 14 further comprising a wavefront expander, the system components being positioned to direct the object wavefront through the wavefront expander and to direct an expanded object wavefront from the wavefront expander onto the encompassed surface area.
- 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the object wavefront is expanded to substantially match an entrance aperture of an optical microscope comprising the microscope objective.
- 19. The system of claim 14 wherein the object wavefront passes through the microscope objective.
- 20. The system of claim 14 wherein the optical microscope objective is comprised by an optical microscope having a laser port through which the object wavefront enters the microscope and through which the modulated object wavefront exits the microscope.
- 21. The system of claim 14 wherein the optical microscope objective is comprised by an optical microscope having a laser port through which the object wavefront enters the microscope and having an epi-illuminator port through which the modulated object wavefront exits the microscope.
- 22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a compensation lens separate from the optical microscope that compensates for microscope optical component effects, the modulated object wavefront passing through the compensation lens after exiting the microscope and before interfering with the modulated reference wavefront.
- 23. The system of claim 14 further comprising an imaging lens through which the modulated object wavefront passes before reaching the photorefractive material.
- 24. The system of claim 14 further comprising a first one-half waveplate and a second one-half waveplate, the object and reference modulated wavefronts respectively passing through the first and second one-half waveplates to provide rotated, modulated object and reference wavefronts entering the photorefractive material.
- 25. The system of claim 14 wherein the object wavefront source and the reference wavefront source together comprise one initial wavefront emitter, a third one-half waveplate, and a polarizing wavefront splitter all positioned to direct an initial wavefront through the one-half waveplate and to direct a rotated initial wavefront from the one-half waveplate through the polarizing wavefront splitter, providing the object and reference wavefronts and controlling the relative intensity of the object and reference wavefronts.
- 26. The system of claim 14 further comprising a linear polarizer associated with the photorefractive material such that the object and reference modulated wavefronts both pass through the linear polarizer immediately before entering the photorefractive material.
- 27. The system of claim 14 further comprising a calibration mechanism including at least an amplitude modulator that modulates a drive signal of the phase modulator, producing two sideband signals of the modulated reference wavefront, the two sideband signals interfering in the photorefractive material to provide a calibration output signal.
- 28. The system of claim 14 wherein the reference and object wavefronts each comprise a laser beam.
- 29. The system of claim 14 further comprising a vibration mechanism configured to apply an acoustic frequency of at least about 1 GHz.
- 30. The system of claim 14 further comprising both a CCD camera to acquire full-field image signals and a detector to acquire single-point signals.
- 31. The system of claim 14 further comprising a CCD camera along with a high extinction linear polarizer and an intensity adjusting filter through which the image signal passes before being acquired by the CCD camera.
- 32. An imaging system comprising:
an object wavefront source and an optical microscope objective all positioned to direct an object wavefront through the microscope objective onto an area of a vibrating subject surface encompassed by a field of view of the microscope objective, and to direct a modulated object wavefront reflected from the encompassed surface area through a photorefractive material; a reference wavefront source positioned to direct a reference wavefront through the photorefractive material to interfere with the modulated object wavefront; the photorefractive material having a composition and a position such that interference of the modulated object wavefront and reference wavefront occurs within the photorefractive material, providing a full-field, real-time image signal of the encompassed surface area; and a switching lens selectively removable from a path of the object wavefront to produce instead a single-point, real-time signal of the vibrating surface.
- 33. The system of claim 31 further comprising at least one phase modulator, the reference wavefront directed through the photorefractive material comprising a modulated reference wavefront from the phase modulator.
- 34. The system of claim 31 further comprising a wavefront expander, the system components being positioned to direct the object wavefront through the wavefront expander and to direct an expanded object wavefront from the wavefront expander onto the encompassed surface area to obtain the full-field image signal, wherein the switching lens is selectively removable from a path of the expanded object wavefront to obtain the single-point signal.
- 35. The system of claim 31 further comprising an imaging lens through which the modulated object wavefront passes before reaching the photorefractive material.
- 36. The system of claim 33 further comprising a first one-half waveplate and a second one-half waveplate, the object and reference modulated wavefronts respectively passing through the first and second one-half waveplates to provide rotated, modulated object and reference wavefronts entering the photorefractive material.
- 37. The system of claim 33 further comprising a linear polarizer associated with the photorefractive material such that the object and reference modulated wavefronts both pass through the linear polarizer immediately before entering the photorefractive material.
- 38. An imaging system comprising:
a vibration mechanism positioned in association with a subject stage to impart vibrational motion to a surface of a subject on the stage at an acoustic frequency of at least about 1 GHz; and an object wavefront source and an optical microscope objective all positioned to direct an object wavefront through the microscope objective onto an area of the vibrating subject surface encompassed by a field of view of the microscope objective, and to direct a modulated object wavefront reflected from the encompassed surface area through a photorefractive material; a reference wavefront source positioned to direct a reference wavefront through the photorefractive material to interfere with the modulated object wavefront; and the photorefractive material having a composition and a position such that interference of the modulated object wavefront and modulated reference wavefront occurs within the photorefractive material, providing a full-field, real-time image signal of the encompassed surface area.
- 39. The system of claim 38 further comprising at least one phase modulator, the reference wavefront directed through the photorefractive material comprising a modulated reference wavefront from the phase modulator.
- 40. The system of claim 38 further comprising a wavefront expander, the system components being positioned to direct the object wavefront through the wavefront expander and to direct an expanded object wavefront from the wavefront expander onto the encompassed surface area.
- 41. The system of claim 38 further comprising an imaging lens through which the modulated object wavefront passes before reaching the photorefractive material.
- 42. The system of claim 39 further comprising a first one-half waveplate and a second one-half waveplate, the object and reference modulated wavefronts respectively passing through the first and second one-half waveplates to provide rotated, modulated object and reference wavefronts entering the photorefractive material.
- 43. The system of claim 39 further comprising a linear polarizer associated with the photorefractive material such that the object and reference modulated wavefronts both pass through the linear polarizer immediately before entering the photorefractive material.
- 44. An imaging system comprising:
an object beam laser source, a beam expander, and an optical microscope objective all positioned to direct an object beam through the beam expander and to direct an expanded object beam from the beam expander through the microscope objective onto an area of a vibrating subject surface encompassed by a field of view of the microscope objective; an imaging lens and a first one-half waveplate positioned to direct a modulated object beam reflected from the encompassed surface area through the imaging lens, to direct an adjusted, modulated object beam from the imaging lens through the first one-half waveplate, and to direct a rotated, adjusted, modulated object beam from the first one-half waveplate through a photorefractive material; a reference beam laser source, at least one phase modulator, and a second one-half waveplate all positioned to direct a reference beam through the phase modulator, to direct a modulated reference beam from the phase modulator through the second one-half waveplate, and to direct a rotated, modulated reference beam from the second one-half waveplate through the photorefractive material to interfere with the rotated, adjusted, modulated object beam; the photorefractive material having a composition and a position such that interference of the beams occurs within the photorefractive material, providing a full-field, real-time image signal of the encompassed surface area.
- 45. An imaging system comprising:
a vibration mechanism positioned in association with a subject stage to impart vibrational motion to a surface of a subject on the stage at an acoustic frequency of at least about 1 GHz; an object beam laser source, a beam expander, and an optical microscope objective all positioned to direct an object beam through the beam expander and to direct an expanded object beam from the beam expander through the microscope objective onto an area of a vibrating subject surface encompassed by a field of view of the microscope objective; an imaging lens and a first one-half waveplate positioned to direct a modulated object beam reflected from the encompassed surface area through the imaging lens, to direct an adjusted, modulated object beam from the imaging lens through the first one-half waveplate, and to direct a rotated, adjusted, modulated object beam from the first one-half waveplate through a photorefractive material; a reference beam laser source, at least one phase modulator, and a second one-half waveplate all positioned to direct a reference beam through the phase modulator, to direct a modulated reference beam from the phase modulator through the second one-half waveplate, and to direct a rotated, modulated reference beam from the second one-half waveplate through the photorefractive material to interfere with the rotated, adjusted, modulated object beam; the photorefractive material having a composition and a position such that interference of the beams occurs within the photorefractive material, providing a full-field, real-time image signal of the encompassed surface area; and a switching lens selectively removable from a path of the expanded object beam to produce instead a single-point, real-time signal of the vibrating surface.
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] The present application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/393,854, filed on Sep. 9, 1999, which is a continuation in part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,411, filed on Jul. 8, 1998, which is a continuation in part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,006, filed on Feb. 25, 1998, each of which is herein incorporated by reference for its pertinent and supportive teachings. The present application is also related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,540, filed on Feb. 20, 2000, and to U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,971, filed on Jan. 22, 1997, each of which is also incorporated herein by reference for its pertinent and supportive teachings.
GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
[0002] This invention was made with United States government support under Contract No. DE-AC07-99ID13727 between the U.S. Department of Energy and Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC. The United States government has certain rights in this invention.
Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09393854 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
10267237 |
Oct 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09112075 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
Child |
09393854 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Parent |
09031613 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Child |
09112075 |
Jul 1998 |
US |