A fisheye lens as a photonic Doppler velocimetry probe

A new fisheye lens design is used as a miniature probe to measure the velocity distribution of an imploding surface along many lines of sight. Laser light, directed and scattered back along each beam on the surface, is Doppler shifted by the moving surface and collected into the launching fiber. The received light is mixed with reference laser light in each optical fiber in a technique called photonic Doppler velocimetry, providing a continuous time record. An array of single-mode optical fibers sends laser light through the fisheye lens. The lens consists of an index-matching positive element, two positive doublet groups, and two negative singlet elements. The optical design minimizes beam diameters, physical size, and back reflections for excellent signal collection. The fiber array projected through the fisheye lens provides many measurement points of surface coverage over a hemisphere with very little crosstalk. The probe measures surface movement with only a small encroachment into the center of the cavity. The fiber array is coupled to the index-matching element using index-matching gel. The array is bonded and sealed into a blast tube for ease of assembly and focusing. This configuration also allows the fiber array to be flat polished at a common object plane. In areas where increased measurement point density is desired, the fibers can be close packed. To further increase surface density coverage, smaller-diameter cladding optical fibers may be used.