Spectroferometer Merging Interferometer and Spectrometer for Coherence Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interferometers and spectrometers have limitations when dealing with low-coherence and high-coherence light sources, leading to reduced visibility, fidelity, and resolution due to their distinct operational requirements and saturation issues.
Innovation Solution
A spectroferometer is designed with shared housing and optics that include interferometer beam-splitting and spectrometer beam-dispersing elements, along with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) reflective surfaces and optical waveguides, allowing for simultaneous capture and analysis of low-coherence and high-coherence light on a single detector array using dynamic adjustments and advanced signal processing techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If interferometer systems are used to measure electromagnetic radiation, then measurement precision is improved for high-coherence light, but reliability deteriorates when dealing with low-coherence light sources due to wide vector variance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines interferometer and spectrometer systems into a single integrated spectroferometer that shares housing, optics, and detection elements. This merging allows the system to simultaneously perform interferometric measurements (for high-coherence light) and spectrometric measurements (for low-coherence light), thereby maintaining both measurement precision and reliability across different light coherence types without requiring separate independent systems
Solution Approach 2:
The spectroferometer is designed with multi-functional capability to handle both interferometric and spectrometric measurement modes. The shared optical path and detector array can operate in either interferometer mode (for high-coherence light with high measurement precision) or spectrometer mode (for low-coherence light with improved reliability), making the system universally applicable to different light sources without sacrificing performance in either mode
2Reliability
If spectrometer systems are used to measure electromagnetic radiation, then reliability is improved for low-coherence light, but measurement precision deteriorates when dealing with high-coherence light sources due to saturation issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges spectrometer and interferometer systems into a unified spectroferometer with shared components. This integration allows the system to switch between spectrometric mode (for low-coherence light) and interferometric mode (for high-coherence light), ensuring that measurement precision is maintained for high-coherence sources by using interferometric measurement when appropriate, while still benefiting from spectrometric reliability for low-coherence sources
Solution Approach 2:
The spectroferometer incorporates dynamic operational capabilities where the system can adaptively switch between interferometric and spectrometric measurement modes based on the coherence properties of the input light. This dynamic adjustment ensures optimal measurement precision for high-coherence light through interferometric mode while maintaining reliability for low-coherence light through spectrometric mode, preventing saturation issues in either scenario
3Device complexity
If interferometer and spectrometer systems are used independently, then device complexity is reduced for each individual system, but productivity deteriorates due to inability to share housing, optics, and detection elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges previously independent interferometer and spectrometer systems into a single integrated spectroferometer that shares housing, optics, and detection elements. This consolidation reduces the overall device complexity by eliminating redundant components while simultaneously improving productivity through efficient resource utilization and the ability to perform both types of measurements with a single instrument
Solution Approach 2:
The spectroferometer achieves multi-functionality by incorporating both interferometric and spectrometric capabilities in a single device. This universal design allows the system to perform diverse measurement tasks (both interferometric and spectrometric analyses) without requiring separate specialized instruments, thereby improving productivity through resource sharing and reducing overall device complexity by consolidating common components
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 spectroferometer enables simultaneous and efficient capture of synchronized data sets from both low-coherence and high-coherence light sources, overcoming previous limitations by generating a spatial intensity profile that can recover temporal, spectral, phase, and amplitude data, improving resolution and reducing data set size.
Implementation Method 1
electromagnetic radiation is passed through a Young's slits arrangement to form two or more sources of secondary radiation that diffract as the sources exit the slits and then interfere as they overlap
Implementation Method 2
two or more sources of secondary radiation that diffract as the sources exit the slits
Implementation Method 3
electromagnetic radiation is passed through a diffraction grating and imaging arrangement to form multiple secondary sources of radiation that diffract as they exit the slits and then interfere as they overlap
Implementation Method 4
multiple secondary sources of radiation that diffract as they exit the slits and then interfere as they overlap
Implementation Method 5
one or more radiation sensitive elements, which are arranged to generate a signal in response to incident electromagnetic radiation
Implementation Method 6
one or more reflective surfaces between the optical outputs. The one or more reflective surfaces include one or more optical coatings on one or more of the surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
Spectroferometers and methods of use are provided. The spectroferometers includes an enclosure, one or more interferometer beam-splitting elements, and one or more spectrometer beam-dispersing elements. The one or more interferometer beam-splitting elements and the one or more spectrometer beam-dispersing elements are housed in the enclosure, share one or more radiation sensitive elements, which are arranged to generate a signal in response to incident electromagnetic radiation, and each generate one or more optical outputs. The one or more optical outputs are arranged such that respective optical axes intersect substantially in a plane of the one or more radiation sensitive elements.