Process and device for measuring light beams
AssigneePaul Scherrer Institut
InventorsRino Kunz, Jurg Duebendorfer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light beam (6) is applied to a waveguide (3) in order to measure properties of the beam (6), e.g. the wavelength. According to the invention, the waveguide (3) has locally and/or time-varying resonances, e.g. by suitably designed grid couplers (4, 5). A light signal (7) is thus generated in the waveguide (3) as a direct measurement of the property to be measured and can be further processed by suitable means or evaluated. It is thus possible, for example, advantageously to produce a simple and inexpensive spectrometer.
Claims26
A process for determining a property of an optical light beam, comprising:
- the light beam is impinged on a waveguide and locally and/or chronologically varying resonance conditions are created in the waveguide, wherein when resonance occurs a lightwave is generated in the waveguide, and this lightwave, or the position, phase or amplitude of this lightwave, are further processed as a directly measured quantity.
A process, comprising:
- directing a light beam on a waveguide, the waveguide having a surface defined by first and second perpendicular axes, prompting the generation of a lightwave in the waveguide at a defined place, the defined place being dependent upon a wavelength of the light beam;
- propagating the lightwave inside the waveguide;
- detecting the position of the lightwave;
- and
- determining a property of the light beam on the basis of the detected position.
A device, comprising:
- a waveguide having a surface defined by first and second perpendicular axes;
- means for receiving a light beam and for generating a lightwave in the waveguide at a defined place, the defined place being dependent upon a wavelength of the light beam;
- a detector for detecting the position of the lightwave;
- and
- means for determining a property of the light beam on the basis of the detected position.
A process, comprising:
- directing a light beam on a waveguide;
- modifying the light beam in an optical filter having defined resonance properties;
- detecting the light beam after it has been modified by the optical filter;
- changing the resonance properties of the optical filter;
- detecting the light beam after it has been modified by the optical filter having changed resonance properties;
- and
- determining a property of the light beam on the basis of results of the detecting steps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.