Importance

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Abstract

The improved focusing mirror lens reduces the ellipticity of the output beam of a laser diode or the like light source and corrects astigmatism of the beam so that beam light can be focused to a fine point. The lens has a monolithic, transparent, preferably cylindrical lens body of glass or the like, upon the opposite entrance and exit ends of which are coated focusing mirrors. At least one of the mirrors, and preferably both, has the configuration of a segment of a circular cylinder. The other mirror may have the configuration of a segment of a circular cylinder or of a sphere. The axes of the mirrors, when both are segments of a cylinder, are perpendicular to each other. Each of the mirrors has a light-transmitting unmirrored pupil aligned along the longitudinal axis of the lens body. When light passes through the entrance pupil, it passes through the lens body, is focused in a given orientation by the exit mirror and reflected back to the entrance mirror where it is again focused in an orientation perpendicular to the first orientation and is reflected toward and out the exit pupil. The lens allows efficient coupling of laser diodes to optical fibers and has other applications.

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First Claim