Tunable optical instruments
US7002697B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 2, 2002 |
| Grant date | Feb 21, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 19, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2203/055
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical instrument including: a thermo-optically tunable, thin film, free-space interference filter having a tunable passband which functions as a wavelength selector, the filter including a sequence of alternating layers of amorphous silicon and a dielectric material deposited one on top of the other and forming a Fabry-Perot cavity structure having: a first multi-layer thin film interference structure forming a first mirror; a thin-film spacer layer deposited on top of the first multi-layer interference structure, the thin-film spacer layer made of amorphous silicon; and a second multi-layer thin film interference structure deposited on top of the thin-film spacer layer and forming a second mirror; a lens for coupling an optical beam into the filter; an optical detector for receiving the optical beam after the optical beam has interacted with the interference filter; and circuitry for heating the thermo-optically tunable interference filter to control a location of the passband.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.