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US 2026/0210762 A1Published application
Optical frequency detector based on on-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution
OwnerXiaotian Steve Yaoinventor
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Abstract
This patent document discloses optical frequency detectors based on on-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolutions, including examples of such detectors using photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chips and the associated algorithm dedicated for measuring fast optical frequency variations (OFV).
Claims7
A device for measuring an optical frequency of light, comprising:
- a substrate fabricated to support an integrated optical frequency detector to receive input light for measuring an optical frequency of the received input light;
- a first optical interferometer formed on the substrate having two interfering optical arms and an input optical port to receive a first portion of the received input light at an input optical wavelength that is split into the two interfering optical arms and an output optical port to receive and combine light from the two interfering optical arms to produce two first optical output interferometer signals,
- a second optical interferometer formed on the substrate having two interfering optical arms and an input optical port to receive a second portion of the received input light which is split into the two interfering optical arms, and an output optical port to receive and combine light from the two interfering optical arms to produce two second output interferometer signals, wherein the second optical interferometer is structured to have a phase difference between the two interfering arms different from a phase difference between the two interfering arms of the first optical interferometer;
- photodetectors formed on the substrate to detect output signals from the first and second optical interferometers to obtain signal variations as both a sine function of an optical frequency of the input light and a cosine function of the optical frequency of the input light;
- and
- circuitry coupled to receive the output signals from the first and second optical interferometers and configured to process the output signals from the first and second optical interferometers based on the sine and consine functions and additional information of hardware imperfections caused by fabrication of the integrated optical frequency detector by deviations from device designs to determine an optical frequency of the input light.
3 more elements
A method for measuring an optical frequency of light, comprising:
- using an integrated optical frequency detector formed on a substrate to receive input light for measuring an optical frequency of the received input light, wherein the integrated optical frequency detector include a first optical interferometer formed on the substrate having two interfering optical arms and an input optical port to receive a first portion of input light at an input optical wavelength that is split into the two interfering optical arms and an output optical port to receive and combine light from the two interfering optical arms to produce two first optical output interferometer signals, and a second optical interferometer formed on the substrate having two interfering optical arms and an input optical port to receive a second portion of the input light which is split into the two interfering optical arms, and an output optical port to receive and combine light from the two interfering optical arms to produce two second output interferometer signals, wherein the second optical interferometer is structured to have a phase difference between the two interfering arms different from a phase difference between the two interfering arms of the first optical interferometer;
- detecting output signals from the first and second optical interferometers to obtain signal variations as both a sine function of an optical frequency of the input light and a cosine function of the optical frequency of the input light;
- and
- processing the output signals from the first and second optical interferometers based on the sine and consine functions and additional information of hardware imperfections caused by fabrication of the integrated optical frequency detector by deviations from device designs to determine an optical frequency of the input light.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.