Meta-material, devices and methods of use thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to a device for rapid focus control of one or more lasers. The controlled beam, is refracted by the dynamic refraction device whose refractive index is set by its response to the control beam. The invention can be used for rapid focus and re-focus of a laser on a target as might be useful in such industries as flat panel television manufacturing, fuel injector nozzle manufacture, laser material processing/machining, laser scanning and indirect drive inertial confinement fusion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dynamic refraction device comprising a meta-material, the meta-material comprising:
 a unit cell comprising a first resonant structure and a second resonant structure,   the first resonant structure configured to have inductance, capacitance and resistance features and forming a first equivalent circuit, and the second resonant structure configured to have inductance, capacitance and resistance features and forming a second equivalent circuit,   characterised in that the second equivalent circuit comprises a single capacitance feature forming a common element coupling the first equivalent circuit to the second equivalent circuit, the common element comprising a non-linear dielectric material.   
     
     
         2 . A laser machining apparatus comprising:
 a controlled laser source;   a dynamic refraction device according to claim  10 ; and   a control electromagnetic source.   
     
     
         3 . An electromagnetic signal processing apparatus comprising:
 a controlled electromagnetic source;   a dynamic refraction device according to claim  10 ;   a control electromagnetic source; and   an electromagnetic signal receiver.   
     
     
         4 . A method comprising:
 directing a controlled electromagnetic radiation through the dynamic refraction device according to  claim 1 , onto an optical collector for processing as a signal beam;   directing a control electromagnetic radiation, of longer wavelength with respect to the controlled electromagnetic radiation, onto the dynamic refraction device which is configured to be resonant to the wavelength of the control electromagnetic radiation, such that a refractive index of the dynamic refraction device experienced by the controlled electromagnetic radiation is substantially determined by the control electromagnetic radiation; and   time-varying characteristics of the control electromagnetic radiation such that the refractive index of the dynamic refraction device is correspondingly changed, thereby refocusing the controlled electromagnetic radiation in accordance with the time-varying characteristics of the control electromagnetic radiation which is then collected by the optical collector for signal processing.   
     
     
         5 . A method comprising:
 directing a controlled electromagnetic radiation through the dynamic refraction device according to  claim 1 , onto an optical collector for processing;   directing a control electromagnetic radiation onto the dynamic refraction device which is configured to be resonant to a wavelength of the control electromagnetic radiation, such that a refractive index of the dynamic refraction device experienced by the controlled electromagnetic radiation is substantially determined by the control electromagnetic radiation; and   varying characteristics of the control electromagnetic radiation such that the refractive index of the dynamic refraction device is configured to either focus the controlled electromagnetic radiation onto the optical collector creating an ‘on’ condition or deflecting the controlled electromagnetic radiation away from the optical collector creating an ‘off’ condition.   
     
     
         6 . A method comprising:
 directing a controlled electromagnetic radiation through the dynamic refraction device according to  claim 1 , onto an optical collector for processing;   directing a control electromagnetic radiation onto the dynamic refraction device which is configured to be resonant to a wavelength of the control electromagnetic radiation, such that a refractive index of the dynamic refraction device experienced by the controlled electromagnetic radiation is substantially determined by the control electromagnetic radiation; and   index of the dynamic refraction device is configured to either focus the controlled electromagnetic radiation onto a first optical collector or deflecting the controlled electromagnetic radiation onto a second optical collector.