Encoding optical cavity output light
First Claim
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1. A method of using an optical cavity that is operable to provide output light in one or more modes;
- when providing output light in one of the modes with analyte absent, the optical cavity providing the output light with a respective unencoded intensity function;
the method comprising;
positioning an analyte in the optical cavity, the analyte having a respective optical absorption characteristic; and
while the analyte is positioned in the optical cavity, providing analyte-affected output light in at least one of the modes;
the analyte-affected output light from each mode having a respective encoded intensity function that is different than its unencoded intensity function;
the difference indicating the analyte'"'"'s optical absorption characteristic;
each mode'"'"'s encoded and unencoded intensity functions having a respective difference that includes at least one of;
a difference between maximum intensities of the mode'"'"'s encoded and unencoded intensity functions;
a difference between contrasts of the mode'"'"'s encoded and unencoded intensity functions; and
a difference between intermediate intensity widths of the mode'"'"'s encoded and unencoded intensity functions.
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Abstract
Output light from an optical cavity includes, for each of a set of modes, an intensity function. Analyte can be positioned in the cavity, and a mode'"'"'s intensity function can be encoded to include information about an optical characteristic of an analyte. For example, the intensity function can include a peak, and its central energy, maximum intensity, contrast, or intermediate intensity width (e.g. FWHM) can indicate the optical characteristic. For example, the information can be about both refractive index and absorption of an analyte.
128 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of using an optical cavity that is operable to provide output light in one or more modes;
- when providing output light in one of the modes with analyte absent, the optical cavity providing the output light with a respective unencoded intensity function;
the method comprising;positioning an analyte in the optical cavity, the analyte having a respective optical absorption characteristic; and while the analyte is positioned in the optical cavity, providing analyte-affected output light in at least one of the modes;
the analyte-affected output light from each mode having a respective encoded intensity function that is different than its unencoded intensity function;
the difference indicating the analyte'"'"'s optical absorption characteristic;
each mode'"'"'s encoded and unencoded intensity functions having a respective difference that includes at least one of;a difference between maximum intensities of the mode'"'"'s encoded and unencoded intensity functions; a difference between contrasts of the mode'"'"'s encoded and unencoded intensity functions; and a difference between intermediate intensity widths of the mode'"'"'s encoded and unencoded intensity functions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- when providing output light in one of the modes with analyte absent, the optical cavity providing the output light with a respective unencoded intensity function;
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6. A device comprising:
a Fabry-Perot cavity that is operable to provide output light in one or more of a set of transmission modes;
the cavity having an analyte region therein in which analyte can be positioned;
with analyte absent from the analyte region, the Fabry-Perot cavity being optically asymmetric;
with analyte present in the analyte region, the Fabry-Perot cavity being optically symmetric;
when operating in at least one mode in the set with analyte present in the analyte region, the Fabry-Perot cavity providing output light with a respective intensity function that depends on an optical characteristic of the analyte.- View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
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an optical cavity component capable of operating as an optical cavity and providing output light in one or more modes; an analyte positioning component that, in operation, positions analyte in the optical cavity component;
when providing output light in one of the modes with analyte absent, the optical cavity component providing the output light with a respective unencoded intensity function; andan optical cavity operating component that, with an analyte that has a respective optical characteristic positioned in the optical cavity component, operates the optical cavity component as an optical cavity, providing analyte-affected output light in at least one of the modes;
the analyte-affected output light from each mode having a respective encoded intensity function that has one or more differences from its unencoded intensity function;
the differences including at least one of a difference in maximum intensities, a difference in central values, a difference in contrasts, and a difference in intermediate intensity widths;
the differences indicating the analyte'"'"'s optical characteristic;the optical cavity component operating as at least one of; an inhomogeneous transmissive optical cavity that, in response to illumination in a photon energy subrange of the mode, provides output light from the mode with intensity-energy functions, the mode being one of a transmission mode and a reflection mode, the unencoded and encoded intensity functions being intensity-energy function; a homogeneous emitting optical cavity that provides output light in the mode, the output light from the mode having an intensity-energy function, the unencoded and encoded intensity functions being intensity-energy function; a homogeneous transmissive optical cavity that, in response to broadband illumination, provides output light from the mode with an intensity-energy function, the mode being one of a transmission mode and a reflection mode, the unencoded and encoded intensity functions being intensity-energy functions; a homogeneous optical cavity that, in response to angled illumination from a point light source, provides output light from the mode with an intensity-position function, the mode being one of a transmission mode and a reflection mode, the unencoded and encoded intensity functions being intensity-position functions; an inhomogeneous optical cavity that is a linearly variable optical filter, the mode being one of a transmission mode and a reflection mode, the unencoded and encoded intensity functions being intensity-energy functions or intensity-position functions; an inhomogeneous optical cavity that, in response to narrow band, broad band, or multi-modal illumination, provides output light from the mode with an intensity-position function, the mode being one of a transmission mode and a reflection mode, the unencoded and encoded intensity functions being intensity-position functions; and an inhomogeneous optical cavity that is a Fabry-Perot cavity, the mode being one of a transmission mode and a reflection mode, the unencoded and encoded intensity functions being intensity-energy functions or intensity-position functions. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of using an optical cavity structure that is operable as an inhomogeneous optical cavity to provide output light in one or more modes;
- when providing output light in one of the modes with analyte absent, the optical cavity structure providing the output light with a respective unencoded intensity function;
the optical cavity structure including;first and second sight-reflective components and a light-transmissive region between them; and a set of one or more channels extending in a flow direction through the light-transmissive region, the flow direction being approximately parallel to at least one of the first and second light-reflective components, optical distance between the first and second light-reflective components varying in the flow direction; the method comprising; positioning each of a sequence of two or more analytes in the light-transmissive region, each analyte in the sequence having a respective optical characteristic, the optical characteristics of analytes varying within the sequence; and while each analyte is positioned in the light-transmissive region, operating the optical cavity structure as an inhomogeneous optical cavity so that it provides respective analyte-affected output light in each of a subset of the modes, the respective analyte-affected output light of at least one mode in the subset having an intensity function that varies as a result of the varying optical characteristics of the analytes; the act of positioning including; causing each of the sequence of analytes to travel in the flow direction through a first one of the channels; the act of operating the optical cavity structure including; for each of the analytes, providing, at a series of positions, respective portions of the respective analyte-affected output light through one of the light-reflective components;
the positions together extending in the flow direction;the respective portions provided at the positions varying in intensity in the flow direction. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
- when providing output light in one of the modes with analyte absent, the optical cavity structure providing the output light with a respective unencoded intensity function;
Specification