US 10,852,530 B2 · Micro-motor based swept wavelength optical components

Abstract

Optical spectroscopy is a widely used method to identify the chemical composition of materials and the characteristics of optical signals. Silicon based integrated photonics offers a platform for many optical functions through microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS), silicon waveguides, integrated CMOS electronics and hybrid integration of compound semiconductor elements for optical gain. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide advanced optical tools for techniques such as optical spectroscopy and optical tomography exploiting MOEMS to provide swept filters that offer improved performance, increased integration, reduced footprint, reduced power consumption, increased flexibility, reconfigurability, and lower cost. Further, such MOEMS elements can support the provisioning of swept optical sources, swept filters, swept receivers etc. in the planar waveguide domain without free space optics.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A device comprising:

a substrate;
a first optical waveguide supporting propagation of optical signals within a predetermined wavelength range disposed upon the substrate coupled via a first facet with a first predetermined geometry to a rotatable microoptoelectromechanical system (R-MOEMS);
and
the R-MOEMS comprising:
a rotor having a periphery, a central mounting, and plurality of rotor poles;
a plurality of stator poles;
a second optical waveguide disposed upon the rotor comprising a second facet with a second predetermined geometry around a predetermined portion of the periphery of the rotor and a third facet with a third predetermined geometry disposed towards the center of the rotor;
and
an optical feature coupled to the third facet.

6 more elements

An optical component for optically scanning a predetermined wavelength range comprising:

a rotatable microoptoelectromechanical system (R-MOEMS);
wherein
the R-MOEMS comprises:
a substrate;
a rotor with a central support;
an optical waveguide disposed upon the rotor comprising a first facet along a predetermined portion of the periphery of the rotor and a second facet with a predetermined geometry disposed towards the center of the rotor;
and
an optical feature disposed upon the second facet.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Micro-motor based swept wavelength optical components

Life of this patent

Micro-motor based swept wavelength optical components

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19