Spectral filter for green and longer wavelengths
First Claim
1. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
- a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Visible and infra-red spectral filters based on arrays of uncoupled identical waveguides having coherently modulated cross sections offer many unique advantages, such as independence of the spectral position of the Bragg-resonance based transmission or reflection features on the angle of light incidence. The resulting spectral filters are mechanically and optically stable, do not degrade over time, and offer superior transmittance for use as band pass, narrow band pass, band blocking, short pass and long pass filters. Such filters are useful for a wide variety of applications including but not limited to biomedical analysis systems, spectroscopy and optical communications systems.
34 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, wherein said host wafer at least partially comprises porous semiconductor material, said semiconductor material remaining between the pores serving as a waveguide while said pores separate neighboring waveguides, and wherein said porous semiconductor material is chosen from the full possible range of alloys and compounds of zinc, cadmium, mercury, silicon, germanium, tin, lead, aluminum, gallium, indium, bismuth, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, sulfur, selenium and tellurium.
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10. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, wherein the wafer has a thickness of from about 1 to about 5000 times the characteristic lateral dimension of the waveguides.
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11. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of said waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, wherein said host wafer at least partially comprises porous semiconductor material, said semiconductor material remaining between the pores serving as a waveguide while said pores separate neighboring waveguides, and wherein at least one layer of substantially transparent material at the transparency wavelength range of said spectral filter is made to coat the pore walls. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, wherein the filter comprises a transmission band-pass filter.
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15. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, wherein the filter comprises a transmission band-blocking filter.
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16. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, and wherein the filter comprises a reflection band-pass filter.
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17. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, and wherein the filter comprises a reflection band blocking filter.
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18. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of the waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, wherein the centers of said waveguides are placed apart by a distance in the range of 0.5 μ
m to 30 μ
m, said distance being greater than the smallest lateral dimension of said waveguides.
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19. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, wherein said waveguides are spatially ordered in the plane of said wafer into a predetermined pattern having predetermined symmetry. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of said waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, wherein said waveguides are spatially ordered in the plane of said wafer into a predetermined pattern having predetermined symmetry, wherein said symmetry is hexagonal symmetry.
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22. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of said waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, wherein said waveguides are spatially ordered in the plane of said wafer into a predetermined pattern having predetermined symmetry, wherein said symmetry is cubic symmetry.
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23. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, wherein said host wafer at least partially comprises porous semiconductor material, said semiconductor material remaining between the pores serving as a waveguide while said pores separate neighboring waveguides, and wherein said pores have substantially circular cross sections.
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24. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of the waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, wherein the host wafer at least partially comprises porous semiconductor material, the semiconductor material remaining between the pores serving as a waveguide while the pores separate neighboring waveguides, wherein said pores have approximately square cross sections.
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25. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, and wherein said waveguides are made to exhibit a modulated lateral cross section over at least some part of the length of said waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of said waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, and wherein said waveguides are made to exhibit a modulated lateral cross section over at least some part of the length of said waveguides, wherein said modulation is periodical with the period from about 50 nm to about 20 μ
m.
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31. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of said waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, and wherein said waveguides are made to exhibit a modulated lateral cross section over at least some part of the length of said waveguides, wherein said modulation is the superposition of two or more periodical modulations with periods from about 50 nm to about 20 μ
m each.
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32. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, wherein said waveguides have at least one end tapered. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of said waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, wherein said host wafer at least partially comprises porous semiconductor material, said semiconductor material remaining between the pores serving as a waveguide while said pores separate neighboring waveguides, and wherein at least one layer of substantially absorbing or reflecting material is disposed on at least part of the pore length and said material is chosen to minimize the cross-coupling between the modes of neighboring waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, and wherein an antireflective structure is made to coat at least one surface of the host wafer, said structure minimizing the reflection of light from said waveguide material over the said predetermined wavelength range such that at least some portion of said each waveguide length is left uncoated by said antireflective structure. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of said waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, and wherein said wafer is disposed between two plates of material that is transparent in a predetermined spectral range. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of the waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, wherein said host wafer at least partially comprises oxidized porous semiconductor material, said oxidized semiconductor material between the pores serving as waveguides while the pores separate neighbor waveguides, wherein at least one layer of substantially transparent material in the transparency wavelength range of said spectral filter is made to coat the pore walls. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
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48. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, wherein said host wafer at least partially comprises oxidized porous semiconductor material, said oxidized semiconductor material between the pores serving as waveguides while the pores separate neighbor waveguides, wherein said pores have approximately square cross sections.
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49. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of the waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, wherein said host wafer at least partially comprises oxidized porous semiconductor material, said oxidized semiconductor material between the pores serving as waveguides while the pores separate neighbor waveguides, wherein at least one layer of substantially absorbing or reflecting material is disposed on at least part of said pore length and said material is chosen to minimize the cross-coupling between the modes of neighboring waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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53. A spectral filter for filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band comprising:
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a substrate or host wafer having a first and a second surface and further including plural, substantially uniform parallel uncoupled waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of the length of said waveguides, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode at the predetermined spectral wavelength, and wherein said host wafer at least partially comprises porous semiconductor material, with the pores completely filled by a substantially transparent material, said filled pores comprising the cores of said waveguides and said semiconductor material between the pores functioning to separate neighboring waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A passive spectral filter for selectively filtering or transmitting at least one predetermined spectral wavelength band, the passive spectral filter comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and further including a waveguide array comprising plural, substantially uniform and parallel, substantially mutually decoupled and thus independent waveguides defined at least partially therethrough, the plural waveguides defining axes substantially perpendicular to the wafer first surface, the plural waveguides having coherently modulated cross-sections along at least some part of lengths of the waveguides thereof, the plural waveguides each supporting at least one waveguide mode in said predetermined spectral wavelength band, said spectral filter passively spectrally filtering light as said light propagates through said at least one waveguide mode, and wherein said spectral filter is disposed contiguous to an optical detection means.
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Specification