Micro-resonator and fiber taper sensor system

Abstract

A micro-resonator and fiber taper based sensing system, which uses mode splitting or frequency shift methods and polarization measurements for particle sensing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sensing apparatus comprising:
 a processor and a memory having data representative of plurality of polarizability values for a plurality of common air pollutants and said memory having a selection algorithm;   a laser;   a based whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;   a coupling medium configured to transition the tunable laser in and out resonance modes;   a photodetector configured to detect a laser signal output at an output port of the coupling waveguide and said photodetector having a detector output signal representative of the detected laser signal output; and   said processor configured to process the selection algorithm to analyze a transmission spectra of the detector output signal, thereby deriving a detected polarizability value and selecting a matching polarizability value from the plurality of polarizability values.   
     
     
         2 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , comprising:
 a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the laser and output   a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.   
     
     
         3 . A sensing apparatus comprising:
 a micro-laser, a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator and a coupling medium configured to transition the tunable laser in and out resonance modes, embedded in a gas permeable encapsulation material; and   a photodetector configured to detect a laser signal output at an output port of the coupling medium and said photodetector configured to detect one or more of a resonance shift in a transmission spectrum and change in the mode pattern and said photo detector configured to output a signal indicative of the presence of a gas if one or more of a resonance shift in a transmission spectrum and change in the mode pattern is detected.   
     
     
         4 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 3 , comprising:
 a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the laser and output   a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.   
     
     
         5 . A sensing apparatus comprising:
 a processor and a memory having data representative of plurality of speckle pattern changes for a plurality of common external perturbations and said memory having a selection algorithm;   a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;   a coupled tapered waveguide connected to a multimode fiber;   a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled tapered waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a speckle pattern; and   said processor configured to process the selection algorithm to analyze a transmission spectra of the detector output signal, thereby deriving a detected speckle patter change and selecting a matching speckle patter change from the plurality of speckle pattern changes.   
     
     
         6 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , comprising:
 a laser; and   a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the tunable laser and output a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.   
     
     
         7 . A sensing apparatus comprising:
 a processor and a memory having data representative of plurality of speckle pattern changes for a plurality of common external perturbations and said memory having a selection algorithm:   a fiber;   a coupled tapered waveguide connected to a multimode fiber;   a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled tapered waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a speckle pattern; and   said processor configured to process the selection algorithm to analyze a transmission spectra of the detector output signal, thereby deriving a detected speckle patter change and selecting a matching speckle patter change from the plurality of speckle pattern changes.   
     
     
         8 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 7 , comprising:
 a laser; and   a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the tunable laser and output a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.   
     
     
         9 . A sensing apparatus comprising:
 an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser;   a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;   a coupled tapered waveguide configured to transition the ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser laser in and out resonance modes;   said whispering gallery mode micro-resonator having a functionalize surface selected from one or more of an antibody bound on the surface and a chemical bound on the surface, where one or more of said antibody is configured to bind with an antigen and said chemical configured to bind with a molecule; and   a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a frequency shift indicative of change in refractive index due to the functionalized surface.   
     
     
         10 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , comprising:
 an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser; and   a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the ultra-narrow linewidth laser and output a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.   
     
     
         11 . A sensing apparatus comprising:
 an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser;   a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;   a coupled tapered waveguide configured to transition the ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser laser in and out resonance modes;   said whispering gallery mode micro-resonator having a functionalize surface of a chemical bound on the surface, where the chemical configured to be responsive to the presence of a specific gas; and   a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a frequency shift indicative of change in refractive index due to the functionalized surface.   
     
     
         12 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 11 , comprising:
 an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser; and   a polarization controller configured to receive a laser emission from the ultra-narrow linewidth laser and output a polarized laser signal to the coupled waveguide.   
     
     
         13 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 12 , where the functionalized surface is selected from one or more of a chemical sensitive to a variation in temperature, humidity, or pressure. 
     
     
         14 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , where the coupled tapered waveguide surface is functionalized with a waveguide chemical configured for one or more of binding to a molecule, sensing variation in temperature, sensing a variation in humidity and sensing a variation in pressure. 
     
     
         15 . The sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 14 , comprising:
 a dopant applied to the surface of a micro-resonator thereby configured to enable lasing in multiple colors.   
     
     
         16 . A wave sensing apparatus comprising:
 an ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser;   a whispering gallery mode micro-resonator;   a coupled tapered waveguide configured to transition the ultra-narrow linewidth micro-laser laser in and out resonance modes;   said whispering gallery mode micro-resonator having a functionalize surface of a specific material doped on the surface, where the specific material is configured to be responsive to the presence of a specific wave type; and   a photodetector configured to detect an output signal at an output port of the coupled waveguide and said photodetector configured to detect a frequency shift indicative of change in refractive index due to the functionalized surface.   
     
     
         17 . The wave sensing apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , where the specific wave type is one or more of a magnetic wave, IR, UV and an acoustic wave.