Abstract:
A semiconductor source spectroscopy system controls optical power variation of the tunable signal due to polarization dependent loss in the system and thus improves the noise performance of the system. It relies on using polarization control between the source and the sample and/or the sample and the detector.
Abstract:
A wavelength measurement system uses birefringent material waveplate, thereby producing a substantially sinusoidal spectral response. As a result, the responses of multiple birefringent filters can be combined to yield a filter system with a periodic frequency response that has an additive wavelength resolution that is spectrally stable. That is, the wavelength measurement system (100) does not have regions where wavelength resolution is degraded. In one implementation, a waveplate system (112) is used, placed between two blocks of birefringent material (110) and (114). A quadrant detector (116) is used to detect the intensities of the resulting four beams.
Abstract:
An optical probe for emitting and/or receiving light within a body comprises an optical fiber that transmits and/or receives an optical signal, a silicon optical bench including a fiber groove running longitudinally that holds an optical fiber termination of the optical fiber and a reflecting surface that optically couples an endface of the optical fiber termination to a lateral side of the optical bench. The fiber groove is fabricated using silicon anisotropic etching techniques. Some examples use a housing around the optical bench that is fabricated using LIGA or other electroforming technology. A method for forming lens structure is also described that comprises forming a refractive lens in a first layer of a composite wafer material, such as SOI (silicon on insulator) wafers and forming an optical port through a backside of the composite wafer material along an optical axis of the refractive lens.
Abstract:
An optical probe for emitting and/or receiving light within a body comprises an optical fiber that transmits and/or receives an optical signal, a silicon optical bench including a fiber groove running longitudinally that holds an optical fiber termination of the optical fiber and a reflecting surface that optically couples an endface of the optical fiber termination to a lateral side of the optical bench. The fiber groove is fabricated using silicon anisotropic etching techniques. Some examples use a housing around the optical bench that is fabricated using LIGA or other electroforming technology. A method for forming lens structure is also described that comprises forming a refractive lens in a first layer of a composite wafer material, such as SOI (silicon on insulator) wafers and forming an optical port through a backside of the composite wafer material along an optical axis of the refractive lens.
Abstract:
A multi semiconductor source tunable spectroscopy system has two or more semiconductor sources for generating tunable optical signals that are tunable over different spectral bands. The system enables the combination of these tunable signals to form an output signal that is tunable over a combined band including these individual spectral bands of the separate semiconductor sources. The system further compensates for spectral roll-off associated with the semiconductor sources. Specifically, near the limits of the semiconductor sources spectral bands, the power in the tunable signal tends to degrade or decrease. The system compensates for this roll-off using drive current control, attenuators, or electronic compensation.
Abstract:
A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-tunable vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) in which the MEMS mirror is a bonded to the active region. This allows for a separate electrostatic cavity, that is outside the laser's optical resonant cavity. Moreover, the use of this cavity configuration allows the MEMS mirror to be tuned by pulling the mirror away from the active region. This reduces the risk of snap down. Moreover, since the MEMS mirror is now bonded to the active region, much wider latitude is available in the technologies that are used to fabricate the MEMS mirror. This is preferably deployed as a swept source in an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system.
Abstract:
An integrated swept wavelength optical source uses a narrowband filtered broadband signal, such as a filtered amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) signal, with an optical amplifier and tracking filter and/or self-tracking filter. This source comprises a micro optical bench, a source for generating broadband light, a first tunable Fabry Perot filter, installed on the bench, for spectrally filtering the broadband light from the broadband source to generate a narrowband tunable signal, an amplifier, installed on the bench, for amplifying the tunable signal, and possibly a second tunable Fabry Perot filter, installed on the bench, for spectrally filtering the amplified tunable signal from the amplifier. In a self-tracking arrangement, a single tunable filter both generates the narrowband signal and spectrally filters the amplified signal. In some examples, two-stage amplification is provided. The use of a single bench implementation yields a low cost high performance system.
Abstract:
An external cavity laser has a mirror-based resonant tunable filter, such as a Fabry Perot tunable filter or Gires-Tournois interferometer tuning element, with the tunable filter being preferably used as a laser cavity mirror. A mirror-based resonant tunable filter is selected in which the spectral response in reflection has an angular dependence. A tilt scheme is used whereby by selecting an appropriate angle between the filter's nominal optical axis and the cavity optical axis, a narrowband peak spectral reflection is provided to the laser cavity. This tunable narrowband spectral reflection from the filter is used to lock and tune the laser output wavelength.
Abstract:
Integrated spectroscopy systems are disclosed. In some examples, integrated tunable detectors, using one or multiple Fabry-Perot tunable filters, are provided. Other examples use integrated tunable sources. The tunable source combines one or multiple diodes, such as superluminescent light emitting diodes (SLED), and a Fabry Perot tunable filter or etalon. The advantages associated with the use of the tunable etalon are that it can be small, relatively low power consumption device. For example, newer microelectrical mechanical system (MEMS) implementations of these devices make them the size of a chip. This increases their robustness and also their performance. In some examples, an isolator, amplifier, and/or reference system is further provided integrated.
Abstract:
Integrated spectroscopy systems are disclosed. In some examples, integrated tunable detectors, using one or multiple Fabry-Perot tunable filters, are provided. Other examples use integrated tunable sources. The tunable source combines one or multiple diodes, such as superluminescent light emitting diodes (SLED), and a Fabry Perot tunable filter or etalon. The advantages associated with the use of the tunable etalon are that it can be small, relatively low power consumption device. For example, newer microelectrical mechanical system (MEMS) implementations of these devices make them the size of a chip. This increases their robustness and also their performance. In some examples, an isolator, amplifier, and/or reference system is further provided integrated.