Optical sensing based on whispering-gallery-mode microcavity
First Claim
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1. A device, comprising:
- an optical resonator to support a whispering gallery mode of an electromagnetic field;
an optical coupler positioned adjacent to said optical resonator and having an interfacing surface to evanescently couple optical energy into or out of said optical resonator in said whispering gallery mode;
a sample unit disposed relative to said optical resonator to supply a sample to a spatial region within a reach of and to interact with said electromagnetic field of said whispering gallery mode to produce a change in said optical energy in said optical resonator;
an optical detector located relative to said optical coupler to receive an output from said optical coupler and measure said change during a transient period before said optical resonator reaches an equilibrium state in interaction with the sample; and
a signal processor coupled to said optical detector to process an output from said optical detector to extract information on the sample.
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Abstract
Techniques and devices for sensing a sample by using a whispering gallery mode resonator.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A device, comprising:
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an optical resonator to support a whispering gallery mode of an electromagnetic field;
an optical coupler positioned adjacent to said optical resonator and having an interfacing surface to evanescently couple optical energy into or out of said optical resonator in said whispering gallery mode;
a sample unit disposed relative to said optical resonator to supply a sample to a spatial region within a reach of and to interact with said electromagnetic field of said whispering gallery mode to produce a change in said optical energy in said optical resonator;
an optical detector located relative to said optical coupler to receive an output from said optical coupler and measure said change during a transient period before said optical resonator reaches an equilibrium state in interaction with the sample; and
a signal processor coupled to said optical detector to process an output from said optical detector to extract information on the sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method, comprising:
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measuring a first value of a property of an output optical signal from an optical resonator that supports a whispering gallery mode in absence of a sample;
measuring a second value of the property of the output optical signal from the optical resonator when the sample is present within a reach of the whispering gallery mode; and
extracting information of the sample from a difference between the first and the second value. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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14. A device, comprising:
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an optical resonator having a geometry of an oblate spheroid to support a whispering gallery mode;
an optical coupler positioned adjacent to said optical resonator to evanescently couple optical energy into said optical resonator in said whispering gallery mode or out of said optical resonator to produce an output signal;
a sample unit disposed adjacent to said optical resonator to supply a sample to a spatial region within a reach of an electromagnetic field of said whispering gallery mode to interact with said electromagnetic field to produce a change in said output signal;
an optical detector located relative to said optical coupler to measure said change in said output signal; and
a signal processor coupled to said optical detector to process an output from said optical detector to extract information on the sample.
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20. A device, comprising:
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an optical resonator having a dielectric hollow shell with a thickness less than on wavelength of an optical signal and a medium filled in said hollow shell with a refractive index greater than a refractive index of said hollow shell, said optical resonator configured to support a whispering gallery mode;
an optical coupler positioned adjacent to said optical resonator and having an interfacing surface to evanescently couple said optical signal into said optical resonator in a whispering gallery mode or to couple energy out of said optical resonator to produce an output signal;
a sample unit coupled to said optical resonator to supply a sample into said medium within a reach of an electromagnetic field of said whispering gallery mode to interact with said electromagnetic field to produce a change in said output signal;
an optical detector positioned relative to said optical coupler to receive said output signal and to measure said change; and
a signal processor coupled to said optical detector to process an output from said optical detector to extract information on the sample. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28)
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25. A method, comprising:
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causing a measurement of a first value of a property of an output optical signal from an optical resonator that supports a whispering gallery mode in absence of a sample;
causing a measurement of a second value of the property of the output optical signal from the optical resonator when the sample is present within a reach of the whispering gallery mode; and
causing a difference between the first and the second value to be processed to extract information of the sample.
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Specification