High-lifetime broadband light source for low-power applications

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include broadband light source system comprising an optic coupler including a plurality of input branches coupled to an output. The system includes a plurality of light sources coupled to the plurality of input branches. Each light source outputs light having a different wavelength distribution than any other light source of the plurality of light sources. The output emits a broadband light source comprising a combined spectral output of the plurality of light sources.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 an optic coupler including a plurality of input branches coupled to an output;   a plurality of light sources coupled to the plurality of input branches, wherein a first light source of the plurality of light sources outputs light having a different wavelength distribution than at least one other light source of the plurality of light sources, wherein the first light source comprises an incandescent light;   wherein the output emits a broadband light source comprising a combined spectral output of the plurality of light sources.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optic coupler comprises a fused coupler. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optic coupler comprises a fiber optic coupler. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the fiber optic coupler comprises a dual branch fiber optic light guide. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the incandescent light is coupled to a first input branch of the fiber optic coupler. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the incandescent light comprises a low-color-temperature incandescent light. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of light sources includes a light emitting diode (LED). 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the LED is coupled to a second input branch of the fiber optic coupler. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the LED comprises a white-light LED. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the fiber optic coupler comprises a quad-branch fiber optic light guide. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the incandescent light is coupled to a first input branch of the fiber optic coupler. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the incandescent light comprises a low-color-temperature incandescent light. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of light sources include a first LED. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first LED is coupled to a second input branch of the fiber optic coupler. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first LED comprises a white-light LED. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of light sources include a second LED. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the second LED is coupled to a third input branch of the fiber optic coupler. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the second LED comprises a short-wavelength LED. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of light sources include a third LED. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the third LED is coupled to a fourth input branch of the fiber optic coupler. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the third LED comprises a short-wavelength LED. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optic coupler comprises a beam splitter. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of input branches include a first face of the beam splitter and a second face of the beam splitter. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the beam splitter is positioned to receive at the first face first illumination from the first light source, wherein the beam splitter directs the first illumination from the first face to the output. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the beam splitter is positioned to receive at the second face second illumination from a second light source, wherein the beam splitter directs the second illumination from the second face to the output. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , comprising a first lens positioned between the first light source and the first face of the beam splitter, wherein the first lens is a collimating lens. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , comprising a second lens positioned between the second light source and the second face of the beam splitter, wherein the second lens is a collimating lens. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the output comprises a third face of the beam splitter. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , comprising a third lens positioned adjacent to the third face of the beam splitter, wherein the third lens is a focusing lens. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the incandescent light comprises a low-color-temperature incandescent light. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the second light source includes a light emitting diode (LED). 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the LED comprises a white-light LED. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the beam splitter comprises a broadband beam splitter. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the beam splitter comprises a hot mirror beam splitter. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the beam splitter comprises a cold mirror beam splitter. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optic coupler comprises an integrating sphere. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of input branches comprise a plurality of ports. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the output comprises an output port. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the incandescent light is coupled to a first port of the integrating sphere. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the incandescent light comprises a low-color-temperature incandescent light. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the plurality of light sources includes a light emitting diode (LED). 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the LED is coupled to a second port of the integrating sphere. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the LED comprises a white-light LED. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the plurality of light sources include a second LED. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the second LED is coupled to a third port of the integrating sphere. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the second LED comprises a short-wavelength LED. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the plurality of light sources include a third LED. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the third LED is coupled to a fourth port of the integrating sphere. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the third LED comprises a short-wavelength LED. 
     
     
         50 . A system comprising:
 an optic coupler including a plurality of inputs and an output;   a first light source coupled to a first input of the plurality of inputs, wherein the first light source comprises an incandescent light; and   a second light source coupled to a second input of the plurality of inputs, wherein the second light source outputs light having a different wavelength distribution than at least the first light source of the plurality of light sources;   wherein the output emits a broadband light source comprising a combined spectral output of the first light source and the second light source.   
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the optic coupler comprises a fiber optic light guide including a plurality of input branches. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the plurality of inputs includes the plurality of input branches. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the optic coupler comprises a beam splitter. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the plurality of inputs includes a plurality of faces of the beam splitter. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the optic coupler comprises an integrating sphere. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the plurality of inputs comprises a plurality of ports of the integrating sphere. 
     
     
         57 . A system comprising:
 an optic coupler including a plurality of inputs and an output;   a first light source coupled to a first input of the plurality of inputs, wherein the first light source comprises an incandescent light;   a second light source coupled to a second input of the plurality of inputs, wherein the second light source outputs light having a different wavelength distribution than at least the first light source;   a third light source coupled to a third input of the plurality of inputs, wherein the third light source outputs light having a different wavelength than at least the first light source and the second light source;   a fourth light source coupled to a fourth input of the plurality of inputs, wherein the fourth light source outputs light having a different wavelength than at least the first light source and the second light source;   wherein the output emits a broadband light source comprising a combined spectral output of the first light source, the second light source, the third light source, and the fourth light source.   
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the optic coupler comprises a fiber optic light guide including a plurality of input branches. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein the plurality of inputs includes the plurality of input branches. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the optic coupler comprises at least one beam splitter. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 60 , wherein the plurality of inputs includes a plurality of faces of the at least one beam splitter. 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the optic coupler comprises an integrating sphere. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 62 , wherein the plurality of inputs comprises a plurality of ports of the integrating sphere. 
     
     
         64 . A system comprising:
 a plurality of light sources, wherein a first light source of the plurality of light sources comprises an incandescent light, wherein a second light source of the plurality of light sources outputs light having a different wavelength distribution than the first light source;   a plurality of lenses, wherein each lens of the plurality of lenses is optically coupled to each light source of the plurality of light sources; and   an optical device optically coupled to the plurality of lenses, wherein the optical device combines light received from the plurality of lenses, wherein an output from the optical device comprises broadband light having a combined spectral output of the plurality of light sources.   
     
     
         65 . A system comprising:
 a plurality of light sources, wherein a first light source of the plurality of light sources comprises an incandescent light, wherein a second light source of the plurality of light sources outputs light having a different wavelength distribution than the first light source; and   an optical integrating sphere comprising a plurality of input ports and an output port, wherein the plurality of light sources are optically coupled to the plurality of input ports, wherein the optical integrating sphere combines light of the plurality of light sources, wherein the output port outputs broadband light comprising a combined spectral output of the plurality of light sources.   
     
     
         66 . A method comprising:
 coupling a plurality of light sources to an optical device;   operating a first light source of the plurality of light sources to emit incandescent light;   operating a second light source of the plurality of light sources to emit light having a different wavelength distribution than the at least the first light source; and   forming a broadband light source by combining at the optical device light of the plurality of light sources.   
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein coupling the plurality of light sources to an optical device comprises coupling each light source to each input branch of a plurality of input branches of a fiber optic light guide. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein coupling the plurality of light sources to an optical device comprises coupling each light source to each face of at least one beam splitter. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein the beam splitter comprises a broadband beam splitter. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein the beam splitter comprises a hot mirror beam splitter. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein the beam splitter comprises a cold mirror beam splitter. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein coupling the plurality of light sources to an optical device comprises coupling each light source to each input port of a plurality of input ports of an integrating sphere. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the incandescent light comprises a low-color-temperature incandescent light. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the second light source includes a light emitting diode (LED). 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the LED comprises a white-light LED. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the plurality of light sources include a second LED. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein the second LED comprises a short-wavelength LED. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein the plurality of light sources include a third LED. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 78 , wherein the third LED comprises a short-wavelength LED.