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US 12,693,218 B2Granted
System and method for open-path sensing of a fluid
AssigneesImec Vzw, Universiteit Gent
InventorsYanLu Li, Roeland Baets
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for open-path sensing of a property of a fluid in an environment comprises: a sensing light source; a pumping light source for outputting a pumping beam into the environment for inducing a change of light propagation characteristics of the fluid; wherein the system outputs a probing beam and a reference beam into the environment, such that the probing beam has a larger intersection with the pumping beam than the reference beam; wherein a first interferometer detects a phase shift and/or an intensity change of a received probing beam; and wherein a second interferometer detects a phase shift and/or an intensity change of a received reference beam.
Claims14
A system for open-path sensing of a property of a fluid in an environment, the system comprising:
- at least one sensing light source configured to generate probing beam light and reference beam light;
- a pumping light source configured to generate and output a pumping beam into the environment, wherein the pumping beam is configured to induce a change of light propagation characteristics of the fluid;
- a first interferometer;
- a second interferometer;
- a third interferometer;
- and
- a fourth interferometer,
- wherein the system is configured to output a probing beam into the environment based on a first portion of the probing beam light, to output a reference beam into the environment based on a first portion of the reference beam light, and to output the pumping beam, such that the probing beam and the pumping beam intersect in a sensing region within the environment, and such that a first intersection between the probing beam and the pumping beam is larger than a second intersection between the reference beam and the pumping beam,
- wherein the first interferometer is configured to receive the probing beam having propagated through the environment, wherein the probing beam is configured to be phase shifted and/or experience an intensity change by propagating through the environment including the sensing region having changed light propagation characteristics induced by the pumping beam, wherein the first interferometer is further configured to detect a phase shift and/or an intensity change of the received probing beam based on interference between the received probing beam and a second portion of the probing beam light which has not propagated through the environment,
- wherein the second interferometer is configured to receive the reference beam having propagated through the environment, wherein the reference beam is configured to be phase shifted and/or experience an intensity change by propagating through the environment, wherein the second interferometer is further configured to detect a phase shift and/or an intensity change of the received reference beam based on interference between the received reference beam and a second portion of the reference beam light which has not propagated through the environment,
- wherein the system is further configured to output a second reference beam and a third reference beam into the environment, such that the second reference beam and the third reference beam intersects the pumping beam in a sensing region within the environment, and such that the first intersection between the probing beam and the pumping beam is larger than a third intersection between the second reference beam and the pumping beam, and such that the first intersection is larger than a fourth intersection between the third reference beam and the pumping beam,
- wherein the third interferometer is configured to receive the second reference beam having propagated through the environment, wherein the second reference beam is configured to be phase shifted and/or experience an intensity change by propagating through the environment, wherein the third interferometer is further configured to detect a phase shift and/or an intensity change of the received second reference beam based on interference between the received second reference beam and a portion of the reference beam light which has not propagated through the environment, and
- wherein the fourth interferometer is configured to receive the third reference beam having propagated through the environment, wherein the third reference beam is configured to be phase shifted and/or experience an intensity change by propagating through the environment, wherein the fourth interferometer is further configured to detect a phase shift of the received third reference beam based on interference between the received third reference beam and a portion of the reference beam light which has not propagated through the environment.
10 more elements
A method for open-path sensing of a property of a fluid in an environment, the method comprising:
- generating, by at least one sensing light source, probing beam light and reference beam light;
- outputting, based on a first portion of the probing beam light, a probing beam into the environment;
- outputting, based on a first portion of the reference beam light, a reference beam into the environment;
- outputting a pumping beam to induce a change of light propagation characteristics of the fluid, wherein the pumping beam, the probing beam and the reference beam are output such that the probing beam and the pumping beam intersect in a sensing region within the environment, and such that a first intersection between the probing beam and the pumping beam is larger than a second intersection between the reference beam and the pumping beam;
- receiving, by a first interferometer, the probing beam having propagated through the environment, wherein the probing beam has phase shifted and/or experienced an intensity change by propagating through the environment including the sensing region in which the light propagation characteristics of the fluid has changed;
- detecting, by the first interferometer, a phase shift and/or an intensity change of the received probing beam based on interference between the received probing beam and a second portion of the probing beam light which has not propagated through the environment;
- receiving, by a second interferometer, the reference beam having propagated through the environment, wherein the reference beam has phase shifted and/or experienced an intensity change by propagating through the environment;
- detecting, by the second interferometer, a phase shift and/or an intensity change of the received reference beam based on interference between the received reference beam and a second portion of the reference beam light which has not propagated through the environment;
- outputting a second reference beam and a third reference beam into the environment, such that the second reference beam and the third reference beam intersects the pumping beam in a sensing region within the environment, and such that the first intersection between the probing beam and the pumping beam is larger than a third intersection between the second reference beam and the pumping beam, and such that the first intersection is larger than a fourth intersection between the third reference beam and the pumping beam;
- receiving, by a third interferometer, the second reference beam having propagated through the environment, wherein the second reference beam has phase shifted and/or experienced an intensity change by propagating through the environment, wherein the third interferometer further detects a phase shift and/or an intensity change of the received second reference beam based on interference between the received second reference beam and a portion of the reference beam light which has not propagated through the environment;
- and
- receiving, by a fourth interferometer, the third reference beam having propagated through the environment, wherein the third reference beam has phase shifted and/or experienced an intensity change by propagating through the environment, wherein the fourth interferometer further detects a phase shift of the received third reference beam based on interference between the received third reference beam and a portion of the reference beam light which has not propagated through the environment.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.