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US 6,661,950 B1Granted
Microresonator-based tuned optical filter
AssigneeNomadics, Inc.
InventorBrian N. Strecker
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Abstract
A novel tuned coupled-microresonator filter with a known transfer function. This transfer function may be used, along with the filter's output signal, to extract the original input signal. The quality factor of manufacturable microresonators typically exceeds 106 and permits the attainment of exceptionally high resolution in a small, physically-rugged, environmentally-protected package. In addition, the properties of the resonator and coupling optics lend themselves to low cost production.
Claims15
An interferometric spectrometer comprising:
- a filtering device comprising:
- a microresonator having an optical pathlength and supporting whispering gallery modes, the optical pathlength of the microresonator being modifiable such that supported whispering gallery mode resonance frequencies are tunable;
- a first waveguide evanescently coupled to the microresonator such that supported whispering gallery mode resonance frequencies are extracted from the first waveguide and received into the microresonator while light at frequencies not resonant with the microresonator remain within the first waveguide;
- means for preventing optically absorptive or scattering materials from interacting with light in the evanescent field of the microresonator;
- andmeans for modifying the optical pathlength of the microresonator in a preselected manner;
- a photodetector detecting light within the first waveguide and generating output signals indicative of the light within the first waveguide;
- and
- a data collection and processing system outputting signals for controlling the means for modifying the optical pathlength of the microresonator and receiving signals from the photodector to calculate the spectrum of the light entering the first waveguide from the output of the photodetector.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.