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Integrated optics transducer

  • US 4,529,876 A
  • Filed: 12/27/1983
  • Issued: 07/16/1985
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1983
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A transducer comprising:

  • a laser for generating a beam of coherent light, a photodetector, photoelastic waveguide means disposed between said laser and said photodetector for providing first and second optical paths therebetween, said photodetector being aligned for detecting light passing through said first and second optical paths, stress transfer means disposed adjacent said waveguide means for subjecting said first path to stress forces, said second optical path being unstressed, signal processing means adapted to receive an input from said photodetector for providing a signal output in response to stress forces on said stress transfer means, and a laser modulator for driving said laser at a particular frequency rate and for providing said driving rate to said signal processing means as a reference signal, said laser, waveguide, and photodetector being aligned for directing said light within a plane from said laser to said photodetector, and wherein said photoelastic waveguide means comprises an input waveguide, an output waveguide, and first and second adjacent waveguides for providing said first and second optical paths, said waveguide being coupled between the input and output waveguides for providing waveguide-to-waveguide directional coupling between said input waveguide and said first and second waveguides, and providing said directional coupling between said first and second waveguides and said output waveguide, said input waveguide being disposed for receiving the light output from said laser, and said output waveguide being disposed for coupling light passed through said first and second waveguides to said photodetectors; and

    wherein said waveguide means is planar for providing a plane of travel for laser light, said waveguide means, said laser, and said photodetector are a monolithic substrate of integrated optics.

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