MICRO-RESONATOR AND FIBER TAPER SENSOR SYSTEM

• US 20160266110A1
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Washington University In St Louis
• Original Assignee: Washington University In St Louis
• Inventors: Ozdemir, Sahin Kaya, Yang, Lan
• Application Number:
  US15/019,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20160266110A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1429 Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1433 using image recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1434 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/0038 Investigating nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1454 using phase shift or interference, e.g. for improving contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/458 using interferential sensor, e.g. sensor fibre, possibly on optical waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/21 Polarisation-affecting properties G01N21/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/45 using interferometric methods; using Schlieren methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7746 the waveguide coupled to a cavity resonator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0683 Brewster plate; polarisation controlling elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/08 Optical fibres; light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54373 involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings

Abstract

A micro-resonator and fiber taper based sensing system, which uses mode splitting or frequency shift methods and polarization measurements for particle sensing.

Claims

1. A sensing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory having data representative of plurality of polarizability values for a plurality of common air pollutants and said memory having a selection algorithm;

a laser;

a based whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;

a coupling medium configured to transition the tunable laser in and out resonance modes;

a photodetector configured to detect a laser signal output at an output port of the coupling waveguide and said photodetector having a detector output signal representative of the detected laser signal output; and

said processor configured to process the selection algorithm to analyze a transmission spectra of the detector output signal, thereby deriving a detected polarizability value and selecting a matching polarizability value from the plurality of polarizability values.

2. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising:

a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the laser and output

a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.

3. A sensing apparatus comprising:

a micro-laser, a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator and a coupling medium configured to transition the tunable laser in and out resonance modes, embedded in a gas permeable encapsulation material; and

a photodetector configured to detect a laser signal output at an output port of the coupling medium and said photodetector configured to detect one or more of a resonance shift in a transmission spectrum and change in the mode pattern and said photo detector configured to output a signal indicative of the presence of a gas if one or more of a resonance shift in a transmission spectrum and change in the mode pattern is detected.

4. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 3, comprising:

a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the laser and output

a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.

5. A sensing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory having data representative of plurality of speckle pattern changes for a plurality of common external perturbations and said memory having a selection algorithm;

a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;

a coupled tapered waveguide connected to a multimode fiber;

a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled tapered waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a speckle pattern; and

said processor configured to process the selection algorithm to analyze a transmission spectra of the detector output signal, thereby deriving a detected speckle patter change and selecting a matching speckle patter change from the plurality of speckle pattern changes.

6. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 5, comprising:

a laser; and

a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the tunable laser and output a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.

7. A sensing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory having data representative of plurality of speckle pattern changes for a plurality of common external perturbations and said memory having a selection algorithm;

a fiber;

a coupled tapered waveguide connected to a multimode fiber;

a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled tapered waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a speckle pattern; and

said processor configured to process the selection algorithm to analyze a transmission spectra of the detector output signal, thereby deriving a detected speckle patter change and selecting a matching speckle patter change from the plurality of speckle pattern changes.

8. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 7, comprising:

a laser; and

a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the tunable laser and output a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.

9. A sensing apparatus comprising:

an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser;

a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;

a coupled tapered waveguide configured to transition the ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser laser in and out resonance modes;

said whispering gallery mode micro-resonator having a functionalize surface selected from one or more of an antibody bound on the surface and a chemical bound on the surface, where one or more of said antibody is configured to bind with an antigen and said chemical configured to bind with a molecule; and

a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a frequency shift indicative of change in refractive index due to the functionalized surface.

10. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 9, comprising:

an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser; and

a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the ultra-narrow linewidth laser and output a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.

11. A sensing apparatus comprising:

an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser;

a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;

a coupled tapered waveguide configured to transition the ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser laser in and out resonance modes;

said whispering gallery mode micro-resonator having a functionalize surface of a chemical bound on the surface, where the chemical configured to be responsive to the presence of a specific gas; and

a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a frequency shift indicative of change in refractive index due to the functionalized surface.

12. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 11, comprising:

an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser; and

a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the ultra-narrow linewidth laser and output a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.

13. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 12, where the functionalized surface is selected from one or more of a chemical sensitive to a variation in temperature, humidity, or pressure.

14. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 13, where the coupled tapered waveguide surface is functionalized with a waveguide chemical configured for one or more of binding to a molecule, sensing variation in temperature, sensing a variation in humidity and sensing a variation in pressure.

15. The sensing apparatus as recited in claim 14, comprising:

a dopant applied to the surface of a micro-resonator thereby configured to enable lasing in multiple colors.

16. A wave sensing apparatus comprising:

an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser;

a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;

a coupled tapered waveguide configured to transition the ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser laser in and out resonance modes;

said whispering gallery mode micro-resonator having a functionalize surface of a specific material doped on the surface, where the specific material is configured to be responsive to the presence of a specific wave type; and

a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a frequency shift indicative of change in refractive index due to the functionalized surface.

17. The wave sensing apparatus as recited in claim 16, where the specific wave type is one or more of a magnetic wave, IR, UV and an acoustic wave.