Near-field terahertz imaging
AssigneeAlcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
InventorOleg Mitrofanov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A T-ray imaging system employing an optical resonator that is adapted to be (i) positioned in the near-field proximity to a surface of a sample and (ii) pumped with pump light such that the pump light traverses a relatively thin layer of an electro-optically responsive material (EORM) located in the resonator's cavity. The imaging system has an optical detector that is adapted to detect at least a portion of the pump light reflected from the resonator, while the sample is illuminated with terahertz (THz) radiation such that the EORM is exposed to that radiation resulting in a detectable phase shift in the reflected pump light.
Claims20
A method of detecting interrogation radiation, comprising:
- pumping an optical resonator having an electro-optically responsive material (EORM) with pump light, wherein the pump light traverses the EORM;
- and
- detecting at least a portion of the pump light output from the resonator, while exposing the EORM to the interrogation radiation.
A system, comprising:
- an optical resonator having an electro-optically responsive material (EORM), wherein said resonator is adapted to be pumped with pump light such that the pump light traverses the EORM, wherein the EORM is adapted to be exposed to interrogation radiation;
- and
- an optical detector adapted to detect at least a portion of the pump light output from the resonator having the EORM exposed to the interrogation radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.