Receiver array using shared electron beam
AssigneeVirgin Island Microsystems, Inc.
InventorsJonathan Gorrell, Mark Davidson, Jean Tokarz, Lev Gasparov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-frequency receiver for receiving plural frequencies of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., light) using a beam of charged particles shared between plural resonant structures. The direction of the beam of charged particles is selectively controlled by at least one deflector. The beam of charged particles passing near the resonant structure is altered on at least one characteristic as a result the presence of the electric field induced on the corresponding resonant structure. Alterations in the beam of charged particles are thus correlated to data values encoded by the electromagnetic radiation.
Claims9
A multi-frequency receiver, comprising:
- plural resonant structures configured to receive electromagnetic radiation at different corresponding predominant frequencies above a microwave frequency;
- a source of charged particles for generating a beam of charged particles;
- at least one deflector for selectively deflecting the beam of charged particles toward one of the plural resonant structures depending on a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation to be received;
- and
- at least one detector for detecting whether received electromagnetic radiation includes electromagnetic radiation at a frequency corresponding to the one of the plural resonant structures to which the beam of charged particles has been deflected.
A method of receiving signals at multiple frequencies at a receiver, comprising:
- directing a charged particle beam along a first path in close proximity to a first resonant structure responding to a first predominant frequency;
- detecting at least one variation in the first path indicative of whether the receiver is receiving electromagnetic radiation at the first predominant frequency;
- directing the charged particle beam along a second path in close proximity to a second resonant structure responding to a second predominant frequency;
- and
- detecting at least one variation in the second path indicative of whether the receiver is receiving electromagnetic radiation at the second predominant frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.