Diffraction grating-based encoded particle
AssigneeIllumina, Inc.
InventorsJohn A. Moon, Martin A. Putnam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An encoded particle 8 includes a particle substrate 10; at least a portion of the substrate having at least one diffraction grating disposed therein, the grating having a resultant refractive index variation at a grating location, the grating being embedded within a substantially single material of the substrate; and the grating providing an output optical signal indicative of a code when illuminated by an incident light signal propagating in free space, the output optical signal being a result of passive, non-resonant scattering from the grating when illuminated by the incident light signal.
Claims70
An encoded particle, comprising:
- a particle substrate;
- at least a portion of said substrate being made of a substantially single material and having at least one diffraction grating embedded therein, said grating having a resultant refractive index variation within said single material at a grating location, said refractive index variation comprising a plurality of refractive index pitches superimposed at said grating location;
- and
- said grating providing an output optical signal indicative of a code when illuminated by an incident light signal propagating from outside said substrate, said output optical signal being a result of passive, non-resonant scattering from said grating when illuminated by said incident light signal.
A method of reading an encoded particle, comprising:
- obtaining a substrate, at least a portion of said substrate being made of a substantially single material and having at least one diffraction grating embedded therein, said grating having a resultant refractive index variation within said single material at a grating location, said refractive index variation comprising a plurality of refractive index pitches superimposed at said grating location;
- illuminating said substrate with an incident light signal propagating from outside said substrate, said substrate providing an output optical signal indicative of a code, said output optical signal being a result of passive, non-resonant scattering from said grating when illuminated by said incident light signal;
- and
- reading said output optical signal and detecting said code therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.