Spectral imager and fabrication method
AssigneeRockwell Scientific Licensing, LLC
InventorsWilliam Tennant, William Gunning, Jose Arias
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spectral imager includes an elongate light propagation medium that receives light at one end, has graded average spectral absorption properties in the elongate direction, and spectral detectors distributed in the elongate direction. The spectral absorption properties of the medium can be graded in both elongate and transverse directions. Both linear and two-dimensional arrays can be formed, enabling simultaneous hyperspectral detection.
Claims58
A spectral imager, comprising:
- a three-dimensional (x, y, z) hyperspectral imaging array of photodetectors comprised of laminae of two-dimensional (x, y) arrays of photodetectors, with each two-dimensional array connected physically and electrically to a respective planar array of readout circuits capable of collecting electrical signals from the photodetectors of said two-dimensional array, each lamina comprising:
- a plurality of one-dimensional (x) arrays of photodetectors fabricated in elongate substrates of optically absorbent material, with each substrate electrically and optically laterally isolated from adjacent substrates, each substrate having graded spectral absorption properties along its elongate (x) direction, with its photodetectors tuned to different respective spectral wavelength ranges.
A spectral imager comprising:
- a first elongate light propagation medium arranged to receive light at one end, and having graded spectral absorption properties in the elongate direction, and
- detectors distributed along said medium in the elongate direction to detect light absorbed by said medium.
A graded optical medium, comprising:
- an elongate optical medium having spectral absorption properties which are graded both in the elongate direction of said medium and in a direction transverse to said elongate direction.
A method of fabricating a spectral imager, comprising:
- growing an optical medium on a substrate with a graded spectral absorption in a direction transverse to the substrate, and an elongate dimension parallel to the substrate, and
- establishing a spectral absorption gradient in said medium along its elongate direction.
A method of sensing the spectral content of light, comprising:
- propagating said light through an elongate optical medium in the medium's elongate direction, said medium having spectral absorption properties which are graded both in the elongate direction of said medium and in a direction transverse to said elongate direction, and
- sensing the amount of light absorbed by said medium at different locations in its elongate direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.