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US 7,796,268 B2Granted
Optical communications using spectral interferometry
AssigneeAttochron, LLC
InventorsJohn Cabaniss, Tom Chaffee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical communications can be performed using spectral interferometry. An incident transmission pulse or beam may be mixed with a locally generated beam or pulse to create an interference pattern that may be analyzed to extract the transmitted data. The incident transmission pulse or beam may also be split and mixed with itself to create an interference pattern.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving transmission light in a transmission beam from a transmitter at a receiver, the transmission beam carrying optically encoded data from the transmitter, the transmission light comprising a transmission wavelength in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum;
- emitting mixing light in the receiver, the mixing light comprising a mixing wavelength in the visible or near-visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum;
- generating an interference pattern from the transmission light, the interference pattern comprising a spatial distribution of light intensities formed from at least one constructive interference band and at least one destructive interference band, the generating of the interference pattern comprising crossing the transmission light and the mixing light;
- projecting the interference pattern on a detector;
- and
- reconstructing the encoded data by analyzing the spatial distribution of light in the interference pattern and quantifying intensity differences between the at least one constructive interference band and the at least one destructive interference band.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving transmission light in a transmission beam from a transmitter at a receiver, the transmission beam carrying optically encoded data from the transmitter, the transmission light comprising a wavelength in a range of approximately 1450 to 1650 nm;
- emitting mixing light in the receiver, the mixing light comprising a mixing wavelength in a range of approximately 700 to 900 nm;
- generating an interference pattern from the transmission light, the interference pattern comprising a spatial distribution of light intensities formed from at least one constructive interference band and at least one destructive interference band, the generating of the interference pattern comprising crossing the transmission light and the mixing light;
- projecting the interference pattern on a detector;
- and
- reconstructing the encoded data by analyzing the spatial distribution of light in the interference pattern and quantifying intensity differences between the at least one constructive interference band and the at least one destructive interference band.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means for receiving transmission light in a transmission beam from a transmitter at a receiver, the transmission beam carrying optically encoded data from the transmitter, the transmission light comprising a wavelength in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum;
- means for emitting mixing light in the receiver, the mixing light comprising a mixing wavelength in the visible or near-visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum;
- means for generating an interference pattern from the transmission light, the interference pattern comprising a spatial distribution of light intensities formed from at least one constructive interference band and at least one destructive interference band, the generating of the interference pattern comprising crossing the transmission light and the mixing light;
- means for projecting the interference pattern on a detector;
- and
- means for reconstructing the encoded data by analyzing the spatial distribution of light in the interference pattern and quantifying intensity differences between the at least one constructive interference band and the at least one destructive interference band.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.