Photonic Interferometer Layout for Compact High-Resolution Distance Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing non-contact position sensors, such as eddy current sensors and free space optical systems, face limitations in angular range and resolution, and are often too large or heavy for applications like flight and space applications.
Innovation Solution
A multi-wavelength digital measuring device is implemented on a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) using a Michelson interferometer configuration, comprising a laser source, waveguide structures, multiplexers, and detectors to provide improved angular range and resolution, with components distributed across multiple substrates for compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If free space optical systems are used as position sensors, then angular range and resolution performance is improved, but the system size and weight increase making it unsuitable for flight and space applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple optical components (laser source, waveguides, interferometer, detectors) onto a single photonic integrated circuit substrate. This merging of previously discrete components into one compact unit achieves high angular resolution through interferometric measurement while dramatically reducing the overall system weight and size, making it suitable for flight and space applications.
2Measurement precision
If free space optical systems are used as position sensors, then angular range and resolution performance is improved, but the system size increases making it unsuitable for flight and space applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple optical components (laser source, waveguides, interferometer, detectors) onto a single photonic integrated circuit substrate. This merging of previously discrete components into one compact unit achieves high angular resolution through interferometric measurement while dramatically reducing the overall system size and area, making it suitable for flight and space applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from free-space optical paths requiring large physical separation to integrated waveguide optics where light propagation occurs in confined dimensional spaces. The interferometric measurement functionality is achieved through planar waveguide structures on a chip, fundamentally changing the spatial dimensionality from 3D free-space optics to 2D integrated circuit geometry, thereby achieving high precision in a compact footprint.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The digital measuring device offers an angular range of ±5 degrees with 10 nanoradian resolution, significantly improving performance over existing sensors, and is compact enough for flight and space applications.
Implementation Method 1
a laser source implemented on the photonic integrated circuit configured to provide light
Implementation Method 2
the first waveguide structure, the second waveguide structure, and the first multiplexer are configured as a Michelson interferometer
Implementation Method 3
a first plurality of detectors implemented on the photonic integrated circuit configured to detect an intensity value of each channel
Data Source
AI summary
A digital measuring device implemented on a photonic integrated circuit, the digital measuring device including a laser source implemented on the photonic integrated circuit configured to provide light, a first waveguide structure implemented on the photonic integrated circuit configured to direct a first portion of light from the laser source at a moving object and receive light reflected from the moving object, a second waveguide structure implemented on the photonic integrated circuit configured to combine a second portion of light from the laser source with the light reflected from the moving object to produce a measurement beam, a first multiplexer implemented on the photonic integrated circuit configured to split the measurement beam into a plurality of channels, and a plurality of detectors implemented on the photonic integrated circuit configured to detect an intensity value of each channel to measure a distance between the digital measuring device and the moving object.