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Cavity opto-mechanical sensor array

Patent image
NRL

A mass sensor system including multiple Fabry-Perot microcavities connected in parallel by multiple waveguides. Each of the mass sensors includes a microbridge having a fundamental resonance frequency, and a movable reflective mirror etched into the microbridge; a fixed reflective mirror etched in a substrate, the fixed reflective mirror being fixed to the substrate in a region spaced apart from the movable reflective mirror; and an optical waveguide etched in the substrate that connects the movable mirror and the fixed mirror forming the Fabry-Perot microcavity interferometer. The system includes a tunable continuous-wave laser operative to optically interrogate the Fabry-Perot microcavity of each of the plurality of mass sensors, and a receiver operative to receive sensor signals from each of the plurality of mass sensors, the sensor signals comprising reflective signals and transmitted signals. A continuous-wave laser may generate optical forces that modify the motion, dynamics, or mechanical Q-factor of the microbridge.

Inventors: 
Pruessner, Marcel W.; Stievater, Todd H.; Rabinovich, William S.
Patent Number: 
Technical domain: 
Sensors and Measurement
FIle Date: 
2013-07-18
Grant Date: 
2014-09-30
Grant time: 
439 days
Grant time percentile rank: 
7
Claim count percentile rank: 
6
Citations percentile rank: 
1
'Cited by' percentile rank: 
1
Assignee: 
US NAVY