Dual coupler device, spectrometer including the dual coupler device, and non-invasive biometric sensor including the spectrometer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10466100-B2
Application number	US-201615045895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 17, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

Provided are a dual coupler device configured to receive lights of different polarization components, a spectrometer including the dual coupler device, and a non-invasive biometric sensor including the spectrometer. The dual coupler device may include, for example, a first coupler layer configured to receive a light of a first polarization component among incident lights. and a second coupler layer configured to receive a light of a second polarization component among the incident lights, wherein a polarization direction of the light of the first polarization component is perpendicular to a polarization direction of the light of the second polarization component. The first coupler layer and the second coupler layer may be spaced apart from each other and extended along a direction in which the light propagates in the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual coupler device comprising:
a first coupler layer configured to receive a light of a first polarization component among incident lights;
a second coupler layer configured to receive a light of a second polarization component among the incident lights; and
a first reflector and a second reflector that are disposed apart from the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer, and configured to reflect light, which is incident onto the first reflector and the second reflector, respectively, after passing through the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer,
wherein the first coupler layer is disposed between the second reflector and the second coupler layer, and the second coupler layer is disposed between the first reflector and the first coupler layer,
wherein the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer have opposite polarization selectivities, and a polarization direction of the light of the first polarization component is perpendicular to a polarization direction of the light of the second polarization component, and
wherein the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction and extended along a horizontal direction in which the incident lights propagate in the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer.

2. The dual coupler device of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer are parallel to and face each other.

3. The dual coupler device of claim 1 , further comprising a transparent dielectric layer in which the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer are buried,
wherein the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer have a refractive index that is higher than a refractive index of the transparent dielectric layer.

4. The dual coupler device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer comprises a grating-type coupler having a periodic grating structure.

5. The dual coupler device of claim 4 , wherein the periodic grating structure of the first coupler layer is configured to have a first polarization selectivity with respect to the light of the first polarization component, and the periodic grating structure of the second coupler layer is configured to have a second polarization selectivity with respect to the light of the second polarization component.

6. The dual coupler device of claim 4 , wherein the periodic grating structure of the first coupler layer is configured to have a first wavelength selectivity with respect to a light of a first wavelength band, and the periodic grating structure of the second coupler layer is configured to have a second wavelength selectivity with respect to a light of a second wavelength band that overlaps at least partially with the first wavelength band.

7. The dual coupler device of claim 6 , wherein the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band are substantially identical to each other.

8. The dual coupler device of claim 1 , wherein the first reflector is disposed apart from the first coupler layer by a first distance that creates, in the first coupler layer, destructive interference between the light of the second polarization component and the reflected light and constructive interference between the light of the first polarization component and the reflected light, and
wherein the second reflector is disposed apart from the second coupler layer by a second distance that creates, in the second coupler layer, destructive interference between the light of the first polarization component and the reflected light and constructive interference between the light of the second polarization component and the reflected light.

9. A spectrometer comprising:
a first coupler layer configured to receive a light of a first polarization component among incident lights;
a second coupler layer configured to receive a light of a second polarization component among the incident lights;
a photodetector configured to detect the light received by each of the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer; and
a first reflector and a second reflector that are disposed apart from the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer, and configured to reflect light, which is incident onto the first reflector and the second reflector, respectively, after passing through the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer,
wherein the first coupler layer is disposed between the second reflector and the second coupler layer, and the second coupler layer is disposed between the first reflector and the first coupler layer,
wherein the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer have opposite polarization selectivities, and a polarization direction of the light of the first polarization component is perpendicular to a polarization direction of the light of the second polarization component, and
wherein the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer are spaced apart from each other and extended along a direction in which the incident lights propagate in the first coupler layer and the second coupler layer.

10. The spectrometer of claim 9 , wherein the first coupler layer comprises:
a first input coupler configured to selectively couple the light of the first polarization component;
a first waveguide along which the light of the first polarization component coupled by the first input coupler propagates;
a first resonator configured to resonate the light of the first polarization component coupled by the first input coupler; and
a first output coupler configured to output the light of the first polarization component resonated by the first resonator to the photodetector, and
the second coupler layer comprises:
a second input coupler configured to selectively couple the light of the second polarization component;
a second waveguide along which the light of the second polarization component coupled by the second input coupler propagates;
a second resonator configured to resonate the light of the second polarization component coupled by the second input coupler; and
a second output coupler configured to output the light of the second polarization component resonated by the second resonator to the photodetector.

11. The spectrometer of claim 10 , wherein the first coupler layer comprises at least two first resonators configured to resonate lights of different wavelengths respectively, and the second coupler layer comprises at least two second resonators configured to resonate lights of different wavelengths respectively.

12. The spectrometer of claim 11 , wherein one of the at least two first resonators of the first coupler layer and one of the at least two second resonators of the second coupler layer are configured to resonate lights of substantially the same wavelength.

13. The spectrometer of claim 11 , wherein the first coupler layer comprises at least two first input couplers configured to selectively couple lights of different wavelengths respectively, and the second coupler layer comprises at least two second input couplers configured to selectively couple lights of different wavelengths respectively.

14. The spectrometer of claim 11 , wherein the first input coupler is optically connected to the at least two first resonators, and the second input coupler is optically connected to the at least two second resonators.

15. The spectrometer of claim 11 , wherein the first coupler layer comprises at least two first waveguides optically connected to the at least two first resonators respectively, and the second coupler layer comprises at least two second waveguides optically

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Imec Vzw

Inventors

• Cho Seongho
• Claes Tom
• Kim Dongho

Classifications

• G01J3/26

  using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters · CPC title

• G01J3/0256

  Compact construction · CPC title

• G01J3/0205

  Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows · CPC title

• G01J3/1895

  using fiber Bragg gratings or gratings integrated in a waveguide · CPC title

• G01J3/36

  Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors · CPC title