Optically measuring substances using propagation modes of light
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A device for optically measuring a sample, comprising:
- a waveguide, which supports at least an input propagation mode of light, to receive and guide an input beam in the input propagation mode;
a probe head coupled to the waveguide to receive the input beam and to reflect a first portion of the input beam back to the waveguide in the input propagation mode and direct a second portion of the input beam in the input propagation mode to a sample, the probe head collecting reflection of the second portion from the sample and exporting to the waveguide the reflection as a reflected second portion in the input propagation mode; and
a detection module to receive the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion in the input propagation mode from the waveguide and to extract information of the sample carried by the reflected second portion.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This application describes designs, implementations, and techniques for controlling propagation mode or modes of light in a common optical path, which may include one or more waveguides, to sense a sample.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A device for optically measuring a sample, comprising:
-
a waveguide, which supports at least an input propagation mode of light, to receive and guide an input beam in the input propagation mode; a probe head coupled to the waveguide to receive the input beam and to reflect a first portion of the input beam back to the waveguide in the input propagation mode and direct a second portion of the input beam in the input propagation mode to a sample, the probe head collecting reflection of the second portion from the sample and exporting to the waveguide the reflection as a reflected second portion in the input propagation mode; and a detection module to receive the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion in the input propagation mode from the waveguide and to extract information of the sample carried by the reflected second portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for optically measuring a sample, comprising:
-
directing probe light via an optical waveguide in an input propagation mode to a vicinity of a sample under measurement; directing a first portion of the probe light to propagate away from the sample at the vicinity of the sample without reaching the sample back into the optical waveguide while maintaining the first portion of the probe light in the input propagation mode; directing a second portion of the probe light in the input propagation mode to the sample; directing reflected light from the sample caused by illumination of the second portion to propagate in the input propagation mode to overlap with the first portion at a location where the first portion is generated and to co-propagate with the first portion along the optical waveguide beginning at the location; and processing the reflected light from the sample and the first portion that co-propagate in the optical waveguide to obtain measurements of the sample at different depths that are reached by the second portion. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A device for optically measuring a sample, comprising:
-
a waveguide to receive and guide an input beam in an input propagation mode; a probe head coupled to the waveguide to receive the input beam and to reflect a first portion of the input beam back to the waveguide in the input propagation mode and direct a second portion of the input beam to a sample, the probe head configured to overlap reflection of the second portion from the sample with the first portion and to export to the waveguide the reflection as a reflected second portion in the input propagation mode; a beam splitter to separate light having the first portion and the reflected second portion from the waveguide into a first light beam along a first optical path and a second light beam along a second optical path; a variable optical delay element in one of the first and the second optical paths to cause a variable relative phase delay between the first light beam and the second light beam; and a beam combiner to combine the first light beam and the second light beam to produce combined light and to split the combined light into a first optical signal and a second optical signal; a first optical detector to receive the first optical signal; a second optical detector to receive the second optical signal; and an electronic unit to receive and process outputs from the first and the second optical detectors to extract information of the sample carried by the reflected second portion. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification