High-Q resonators assembly
AssigneeSearete LLC, a limited liability corporation of the State of Delaware
InventorsDaniel W. Hillis, Roderick A. Hyde, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
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Abstract
An electromagnetically responsive element includes sets of arrangements of self-resonant bodies, such as atoms or quantum dots that form an effective dielectric constant, typically at or near a resonance.
Claims52
1-4. (canceled)
An apparatus, which interacts with incident electromagnetic energy, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of coupled closed-loop resonators distributed in a region, wherein each resonator has a resonant spectral response characterized by a quality factor Q (ωc), where ω is frequency, and ωc is a resonance line center frequency, and wherein positions and orientations of the resonators are distributed in the region in a selected spatial arrangement so that the apparatus collectively exhibits a particular effective refractive index n (ω) to incident electromagnetic energy.
A structure having a controlled effective index of refraction for incident electromagnetic energy at a selected frequency, comprising:
- an array of coupled self-resonators arranged to produce the effective index of refraction of the structure for incident electromagnetic energy,
- wherein each self-resonator has a time-dependent resonance at a resonance line center frequency ωc, which is substantially the same as the selected frequency, a respective set of electromagnetic parameters, and a Q-factor;
- and
- at least one tuning element configured to tune/de-tune the resonance of at least one self-resonator in response to an input signal.
A method of modifying propagation of an electromagnetic energy wave at a selected frequency, the method comprising:
- refracting the electromagnetic energy wave with an array of microcavity/microring resonators having an effective array index of refraction, each microcavity/microring resonator having a line center frequency, which is substantially the same as the selected frequency, a respective set of electromagnetic parameters, a respective orientation, and a respective Q-factor,
- wherein the microcavity/microring resonators are arranged in the array in a particular spatial pattern that determines the effective index of refraction of the array, and conversely the spatial pattern is a function of the effective index of refraction, the respective electromagnetic parameters, the respective orientations, and the respective Q-factors.
A method of modifying propagation of incident electromagnetic energy, the method comprising:
- intercepting the incident electromagnetic energy with a region having a particular effective refractive index n (ω),
- wherein a plurality of coupled closed-loop resonators are distributed in the region, wherein each resonator has a resonant frequency response that is a function of a resonator orientation and is characterized by a quality factor Q (ωc), where ω is frequency, and ωc is a resonance line center frequency, and wherein the resonators are distributed in the region in a selected spatial arrangement so that the region exhibits the particular effective refractive index n (ω) to the incident electromagnetic energy.
(canceled)
55-59. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.