Apparatus for optical measurements on low-index non-solid materials based on arrow waveguides

US7149396B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• The Regents of the University of California · US
• BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY · US

Inventors

• Holger Schmidt · Wuppertal, DE
• Aaron Hawkins · Charlotte, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 15, 2004
• Grant date: Dec 12, 2006
• Expiry date: May 13, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B2006/0325
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical waveguide is constructed so as to comprise a non-solid core layer surrounded by a solid-state material. The non-solid core layer has an index of refraction which is lower than the index of refraction of the surrounding solid-state material, and light can be transmitted with low loss through the non-solid core layer. In an exemplary application, the non-solid core layer comprises a sample material whose light transmission, absorption, and/or interference characteristics are to be measured. In addition, a perpendicular waveguide portion may be included for use in injecting light into the core for measuring fluorescence characteristics associated with the sample material. Most preferably, the optical waveguide is generally structured as an anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW), which comprises a Fabry-Perot reflector adjacent to the core layer, whereby light is substantially prevented from leaking out of said core in a transverse direction.