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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 02, 2015
Filed:
Nov. 11, 2013
Pao Tai Lin, Brighton, MA (US);
Yan Cai, Stoughton, MA (US);
Anuradha Murthy Agarwal, Weston, MA (US);
Lionel C. Kimerling, Concord, MA (US);
Pao Tai Lin, Brighton, MA (US);
Yan Cai, Stoughton, MA (US);
Anuradha Murthy Agarwal, Weston, MA (US);
Lionel C. Kimerling, Concord, MA (US);
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
A chip-scale, air-clad semiconductor pedestal waveguide can be used as a mid-infrared (mid-IR) sensor capable of in situ monitoring of organic solvents and other analytes. The sensor uses evanescent coupling from a silicon or germanium waveguide, which is highly transparent in the mid-IR portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, to probe the absorption spectrum of fluid surrounding the waveguide. Launching a mid-IR beam into the waveguide exposed to a particular analyte causes attenuation of the evanescent wave's spectral components due to absorption by carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and/or nitrogen bonds in the surrounding fluid. Detecting these changes at the waveguide's output provides an indication of the type and concentration of one or more compounds in the surrounding fluid. If desired, the sensor may be integrated onto a silicon substrate with a mid-IR light source and a mid-IR detector to form a chip-based spectrometer.