Linear rotary optical delay lines.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• High-speed rotary optical delay lines are crucial for various applications.
• Existing designs often have limitations in terms of delay control and spatial separation of beams.
• Curvilinear reflectors offer potential for enhanced performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop analytical and semi-analytical solutions for designing high-speed rotary optical delay lines.
• To explore designs utilizing combinations of stationary and rotating curvilinear reflectors.
• To achieve linear dependence of optical delay on rotation angle through shape optimization.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of four distinct classes of rotary optical delay line configurations.
• Shape optimization of stationary and rotating reflector surfaces.
• Fabrication of prototypes using CNC machining for experimental validation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated infinite variety of optical delay lines with linear delay-angle dependence.
• Achieved over 600 ps optical delay within a 10 cm diameter.
• Showcased spatial separation of incoming and outgoing beams with two rotating reflectors.
• Experimental characterization of fabricated prototypes validated the designs.

Conclusions:

• Analytical solutions enable the design of versatile rotary optical delay lines.
• Shape optimization is key to achieving desired optical delay characteristics.
• The developed designs and prototypes show promise for practical applications requiring precise optical delay control.