Optomechanical radiant energy detector
US6392233B1 · kind B1 · utility
76Cited by
25References
16Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 10, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 21, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 31, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01G5/40
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A MicroOptoElectroMechanical (MOEM) IR detector utilizes a novel combination of integrated MEMS and photonics to achieve high responsivity with low noise. Increasing incident radiant energy bends a bimaterial arm that moves a coupling waveguide into the evanescent field of a principal optical waveguide. This, in turn, modulates the light in the principal waveguide. This device has high detection sensitivity to incident radiation due to the combination of the length of the lever arm and the sensitivity of the evanescent field. The device exhibits low noise because photons are being modulated instead of electrons.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.