Patents by Inventor Stephen C. McClain

Stephen C. McClain has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus for measuring near-angle scattering of mirror coatings
    Patent number: 8502987
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of determining the near angle scattering of a sample reflective surface comprising the steps of: a) splitting a beam of light having a coherence length of greater than or equal to about 2 meters into a sample beam and a reference beam; b) frequency shifting both the sample beam and the reference beam to produce a fixed beat frequency between the sample beam and the reference beam; c) directing the sample beam through a focusing lens and onto the sample reflective surface, d) reflecting the sample beam from the sample reflective surface through a detection restriction disposed on a movable stage; e) recombining the sample beam with the reference beam to form a recombined beam, followed by f) directing the recombined beam to a detector and performing heterodyne analysis on the recombined beam to measure the near-angle scattering of the sample reflective surface, wherein the position of the detection restriction relative to the sample beam is varied to occlude at least a portion of t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Russell A. Chipman, Brian J. Daugherty, Stephen C. McClain, Steven A. Macenka