The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 30, 2019

Filed:

Nov. 24, 2014
Applicant:

Technion Research & Development Foundation Limited, Haifa, IL;

Inventor:

Abraham Aharoni, Rehovot, IL;

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01Q 20/02 (2010.01); G01D 5/34 (2006.01); G01H 9/00 (2006.01); G01J 1/42 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01Q 20/02 (2013.01); G01D 5/342 (2013.01); G01H 9/00 (2013.01); G01J 1/4257 (2013.01);
Abstract

A detection arrangement and method for directing the sensitivity of an optical knife-edge detection system to its optimal operating point. This is referred to as an increase in the detection dynamic range of the system with advantageous applications for detecting motion of a surface such as for Atomic Force Microscopy as well as detecting acoustic vibrations on unstable surfaces. A pair of parallel reflecting surfaces, such as an optical slab waveguide, serve to reflect the sensing beam back onto the knife-edge detector once it is shifted off its sensing range. Allowing multiple reflections, the sensing beam is maintained on the knife-edge detector even at large angular offsets from the optimal operating point of the basic knife-edge detector. Use of a modified arrangement, with two knife-edge detectors at quadrature ensures near-optimal sensitivity at a detection dynamic range up to forty-fold larger than that of the basic knife-edge system.


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