Optomechanical ultrasound detector and performing ultrasound imaging
AssigneeGovernment of the United States of America, AS Represented By the Secretary of Commerce
InventorsJason John Gorman, Thomas Warren LeBrun, David Alexander Long
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Abstract
An optomechanical ultrasound detector includes: a micromirror substrate; a mechanical resonator that receives ultrasound waves, oscillates at resonator frequency fr, changes cavity length Lc, and produces intra-cavity light; and an optical microcavity between the micromirror substrate and the mechanical resonator with cavity length Lc and cavity resonance frequency fc formed by the mechanical resonator and the micromirror substrate, such that the micromirror substrate produces cavity output light from the intra-cavity light, wherein the cavity output light optically encodes information about the ultrasound waves received by the mechanical resonator.
Claims21
An optomechanical ultrasound detector for performing ultrasound imaging, the optomechanical ultrasound detector comprising:
- a micromirror substrate;
- a mechanical resonator disposed on the micromirror substrate, in optical communication with the micromirror substrate, spaced apart from the micromirror substrate at a cavity length Lc, and that:
- receives ultrasound waves;
- oscillates at an ultrasound frequency in response to receipt of the ultrasound waves;
- changes the cavity length Lc based on oscillation of the mechanical resonator at an ultrasound frequency;
- receives initial laser light from the micromirror substrate;
- and
- produces intra-cavity light from the initial laser light;
- and
- an optical microcavity optically interposed between the micromirror substrate and the mechanical resonator and comprising the cavity length Lc with cavity resonance frequency fc formed by optically opposing surfaces of the mechanical resonator and the micromirror substrate and that:
- when the intra-cavity light is resonant with the cavity resonance frequency fc, repeatedly communicates the intra-cavity light between the micromirror substrate and the mechanical resonator across the cavity length Lc, and
- when the intra-cavity light is non-resonant with the cavity resonance frequency fc, communicates the intra-cavity light from the mechanical resonator to the micromirror substrate, such that the micromirror substrate produces cavity output light from the intra-cavity light,
- wherein the cavity output light optically encodes information about the ultrasound waves received by the mechanical resonator.
A process for performing ultrasound imaging with an optomechanical ultrasound detector, the process comprising:
- receiving ultrasound waves by a mechanical resonator of an optomechanical ultrasound detector, the optomechanical ultrasound detector comprising:
- a micromirror substrate;
- a mechanical resonator disposed on the micromirror substrate, in optical communication with the micromirror substrate, spaced apart from the micromirror substrate at a cavity length Lc;
- and
- an optical microcavity optically interposed between the micromirror substrate and the mechanical resonator and comprising the cavity length Lc with cavity resonance frequency fc, formed by optically opposing surfaces of the mechanical resonator and the micromirror substrate;
- oscillating the mechanical resonator at an ultrasound frequency in response to receiving the ultrasound waves;
- changing the cavity length Lc, of the optical microcavity based on oscillation of the mechanical resonator at an ultrasound frequency;
- communicating initial laser light from the micromirror substrate to the mechanical resonator;
- receiving, by the mechanical resonator, initial laser light from the micromirror substrate;
- producing, by the mechanical resonator, intra-cavity light from the initial laser light;
- optically encoding, by the mechanical resonator, in the cavity output light information about the ultrasound waves received by the mechanical resonator;
- repeatedly communicating the intra-cavity light between the micromirror substrate and the mechanical resonator across the cavity length Lc when the intra-cavity light is resonant with the cavity resonance frequency fc;
- communicating the intra-cavity light from the mechanical resonator to the micromirror substrate;
- and
- producing, by the micromirror substrate, cavity output light from the intra-cavity light to perform ultrasound imaging.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.