Using tunable lasers in the design, manufacture, and implementation of integrated optical elements

A method, comprising:

• generating electromagnetic radiation from a tunable laser;
• receiving the electromagnetic radiation with one or more thin-film devices, each of the one or more thin-film devices including one or more optical layers deposited on a corresponding substrate;
• generating optically interacted radiation from each of the one or more thin-film devices upon receiving the electromagnetic radiation;
• receiving the optically interacted radiation with an optical transducer;
• and
• generating output signals with the optical transducer corresponding to the optically interacted radiation received from each of the one or more thin-film devices.

A system, comprising:

• a tunable laser capable of generating electromagnetic radiation;
• a fluid within a flow path and configured to optically interact with the electromagnetic radiation, thereby generating optically interacted radiation;
• one or more thin-film devices arranged to receive the optically interacted radiation, each thin-film device including one or more optical layers deposited on a corresponding substrate and configured to generate modified electromagnetic radiation upon optically interacting with the optically interacted radiation;
• and
• an optical transducer arranged to receive the modified electromagnetic radiation from each of the one or more thin-film devices and configured to generate corresponding output signals therefrom.

A system, comprising:

• a tunable laser capable of generating electromagnetic radiation;
• a fluid within a flow path and configured to optically interact with the electromagnetic radiation, thereby generating optically interacted radiation;
• an optical element configured to interact with the electromagnetic radiation and thereby generate reduced intensity electromagnetic radiation;
• an optical transducer arranged to receive at the optically interacted radiation and generate a corresponding first output signal, and further configured to receive the reduced intensity electromagnetic radiation and generate a corresponding second output signal;
• and
• a signal processor configured to receive the first and second output signals from the optical transducer and determine a characteristic of the fluid based on the first and second output signals.