New Method of Measure Refractive Indices, (linear and circular) birefringences, as well as optical activity using a ring-resonator
Summary The invention is a new method and apparatus for performing refractive index, birefringence and optical cavity measurements of a material such as a solid, liquid or thin film. The invention makes use of an optical ring-resonator in the form of a fiber-loop resonator, or a race-track resonator, or any waveguide-ring or other structure with a closed optical path that constitutes a cavity. Such a cavity is typically of low loss and characterized by a high quality factor. Light is coupled to and from the cavity via a coupler or an equivalent arrangement such that the system is characterized by i) resonances in the ring and ii) resonances that may be observed as spectral features at a detector as the wavelength of the laser source is scanned. The sample is introduced into the resonant ring and relative and/or absolute shifts of the resonance frequencies are observed. The shift of the resonance frequency is a function of the refractive index of the sample. In the case of birefringenece measurements, the invention makes use of rings that have modes with two (quasi-)-orthogonal polarization states, and the relative shifts of the resonance frequencies of these modes are observed.Patent Status: Pending.
Applications Determination of refractive indices in solids, liquids and films; ultra-fast birefringence measurements; measurement of ultra-low birefringent materials; measurement of linear birefringence; measurement of circular birefringence; determination of enantiomeric excess of an optically active solution; measurements of Faraday effect and rotations; measurements of circumference change of ring due to strain; optical circuit for “lab on a chip†applications. For Further Information Please Contact the Director of Business Development Alan Gordon Email: [email protected] Telephone: (617) 384-5000
Inventor(s): Vollmer, Frank
Type of Offer: Licensing
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