Optical sensor and method employing half-core hollow optical waveguide
First Claim
1. An optical sensor comprising:
- an optical waveguide layer adjacent to a surface of a substrate; and
a half-core hollow optical waveguide, a half-core side of the hollow optical waveguide being adjacent to a surface of the optical waveguide layer, the half-core hollow optical waveguide and the optical waveguide layer cooperatively forming both an optical path that confines and guides an optical signal and an internal hollow channel that extend longitudinally along a hollow core of the half-core hollow optical waveguide,wherein a spectroscopic interaction between an analyte within the channel and an optical signal propagating along the optical path determines a characteristic of the analyte.
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Abstract
An optical sensor, sensing system and method of sensing employ a half-core hollow optical waveguide adjacent to a surface of an optical waveguide layer of a substrate. The half-core hollow optical waveguide and the adjacent optical waveguide layer cooperatively provide both an optical path that confines and guides an optical signal and an internal hollow channel. The optical path and channel extend longitudinally along a hollow core of the half-core hollow optical waveguide. The system further includes an optical source at an input of the optical path and an optical detector at an output of the optical path. A spectroscopic interaction between an analyte material that is introduced into the channel and an optical signal propagating along the optical path determines a characteristic of the analyte material.
11 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An optical sensor comprising:
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an optical waveguide layer adjacent to a surface of a substrate; and a half-core hollow optical waveguide, a half-core side of the hollow optical waveguide being adjacent to a surface of the optical waveguide layer, the half-core hollow optical waveguide and the optical waveguide layer cooperatively forming both an optical path that confines and guides an optical signal and an internal hollow channel that extend longitudinally along a hollow core of the half-core hollow optical waveguide, wherein a spectroscopic interaction between an analyte within the channel and an optical signal propagating along the optical path determines a characteristic of the analyte. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 21, 22, 23)
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13. An optical sensor system comprising:
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an optical waveguide layer in a substrate and adjacent to a surface of the substrate; a half-core hollow optical waveguide having a longitudinal axis and a hollow core collinear with the longitudinal axis, the half-core hollow optical waveguide cooperatively forming both an internal hollow channel and an optical path with the optical waveguide layer, the channel being within an optical field region of the optical path; an optical source at an input of the optical path; and an optical detector at an output of the optical path, wherein the optical detector receives a response signal containing a spectroscopic product of an interaction within the channel between an analyte material to be analyzed and an optical signal produced by the optical source. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of optical sensing, the method comprising:
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providing an optical path formed by a half-core hollow optical waveguide adjacent to an optical waveguide layer of a substrate, the half-core hollow optical waveguide having a hollow core that cooperatively forms an internal channel with a surface of the substrate such that the channel extends along the optical path; introducing an analyte into the channel; and interacting an optical signal with the analyte within the channel to produce a spectroscopic response, the optical signal and the spectroscopic response being guided along the optical path, wherein the spectroscopic response is characteristic of the analyte. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification