Tuning Optical Cavities
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Abstract
A tunable optical cavity can be tuned by relative movement between two reflection surfaces, such as by deforming elastomer spacers connected between mirrors or other light-reflective components that include the reflection surfaces. The optical cavity structure includes an analyte region in its light-transmissive region, and presence of analyte in the analyte region affects output light when the optical cavity is tuned to a set of positions. Electrodes that cause deformation of the spacers can also be used to capacitively sense the distance between them. Control circuitry that provides tuning signals can cause continuous movement across a range of positions, allowing continuous photosensing of analyte-affected output light by a detector.
122 Citations
46 Claims
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1-9. -9. (canceled)
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10. A method of producing a device that includes a tunable optical cavity structure with a light-transmissive region between first and second inward reflection surfaces;
- the method comprising;
producing the optical cavity structure so that it includes an analyte region that can contain analyte within the light-transmissive region and a tuning structure;
the tuning structure responding to tuning signals by moving the first and second inward reflection surfaces to any of a set of positions relative to each other;
presence of the analyte in the analyte region affecting the optical cavity'"'"'s output light;
the act of producing the optical cavity structure including;producing, as part of the tuning structure; one or more deformable components connected so that deformation of at least one of the deformable components causes the first and second light-reflective components to move within the set of positions;
at least one of the deformable components bounding in part the analyte region; andat least one signal-responsive component that receives the tuning signals and, in response, causes deformation of at least one of the deformable components that bound in part the analyte region. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
- the method comprising;
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11-27. -27. (canceled)
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28. A method of producing an optical cavity device, the method comprising:
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producing an optical cavity device that includes; first and second light-reflective components with a light-transmissive region between them, each of the light-reflective components being able to reflect light into the light-transmissive region; and a tuning structure that, in response to tuning signals, can move the first and second light-reflective components to any of a set of positions relative to each other;
the tuning structure including;one or more deformable components connected so that deformation of at least one of the deformable components causes the first and second light-reflective components to move within the set of positions; and at least one signal-responsive component that receives the tuning signals and, in response, causes deformation of at least one of the deformable component; the act of producing the optical cavity device comprising; producing the optical cavity device with an analyte region within the light-transmissive region, the analyte region being capable of having an analyte in it, the set of positions including a subset of one or more positions in which the first and second light-reflective components and the light-transmissive region with analyte in the analyte region can operate as an optical cavity that provides analyte-affected output light, the analyte-affected output light including information about one or more optical characteristics of the analyte. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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46. A method of producing an optical cavity device, the method comprising:
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producing an optical cavity device that includes; first and second light-reflective components with a light-transmissive region between them, each of the light-reflective components being able to reflect light into the light-transmissive region; and one or more deformable components connected so that deformation of at least one of the deformable components causes the first and second light-reflective components to move within a set of positions relative to each other; the act of producing the optical cavity device comprising; producing the optical cavity device with an analyte region within the light-transmissive region, the analyte region being capable of having an analyte in it, the set of positions including a subset of one or more positions in which the first and second light-reflective components and the light-transmissive region with analyte in the analyte region can operate as an optical cavity that provides analyte-affected output light, the analyte-affected output light including information about one or more optical characteristics of the analyte; the act of producing the optical cavity device further comprising one of; (a) photosensing the optical cavity'"'"'s output light and causing one or more of the deformable components to be deformed into a sequence of shapes until the optical cavity'"'"'s output light meets a criterion; and (b) sensing capacitance between first and second electrodes on opposite surfaces of one of the deformable components and causing one or more of the deformable components to be deformed into a sequence of shapes until the sensed capacitance between the first and second electrodes is a desired capacitance.
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Specification