Chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11609282-B2
Application number	US-202017611140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2020
Priority date	May 13, 2019
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor includes a light source ( 1 ), an input straight waveguide ( 2 ), a polarization beam splitting waveguide ( 3 ), a 1:1 power beam splitter ( 4 ), three 1:2 type Y waveguides, three 2:1 type Y waveguides, three output straight waveguides, three magneto-optical waveguides and three photodetectors. The light source ( 1 ) outputs broad-spectrum depolarized light into the input straight waveguide ( 2 ), and then the light is divided into TE (transverse electric) polarized light and TM (transverse magnetic) polarized light. The TE polarized light is divided into two beams of TE polarized branch light. The TM polarized light is divided into two beams of TM polarized branch light. One of the two beams of TM polarized branch light is divided into two beams of first TM polarized sub-branch light. Another of the two beams of TM polarized branch light is divided into two beams of second TM polarized sub-branch light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor, comprising a light source, an input straight waveguide, a polarization beam splitting waveguide, a 1:1 power beam splitter, three 1:2 type Y waveguides, three 2:1 type Y waveguides, three output straight waveguides, three magneto-optical waveguides and three photodetectors, wherein:
the input straight waveguide is connected with an input end of the polarization beam splitting waveguide, a first output end of the polarization beam splitting waveguide is connected to a first photodetector as a first sensing axis through a first 1:2 type Y waveguide, a first 2:1 type Y waveguide and a first output straight waveguide in sequence;
two output ends of the first 1:2 type Y waveguide are connected to two input ends of the first 2:1 type Y waveguide through a first magneto-optical waveguide and a first straight waveguide, respectively; a second output end of the polarization beam splitting waveguide is connected to an input end of the 1:1 power beam splitter;
a first output end of the 1:1 power beam splitter is connected to a second photodetector as a second sensing axis through a second 1:2 type Y waveguide, a second 2:1 type Y waveguide and a second output straight waveguide in sequence; two output ends of the second 1:2 type Y waveguide are connected to two input ends of the second 2:1 type Y waveguide through a second magneto-optical waveguide and a second straight waveguide, respectively;
a second output end of the 1:1 power beam splitter is connected to a third photodetector as a third sensing axis through a third 1:2 type Y waveguide, a third 2:1 type Y waveguide and a third output straight waveguide in sequence;
two output ends of the third 1:2 type Y waveguide are connected to two input ends of the third 2:1 type Y waveguide through a third magneto-optical waveguide and a third straight waveguide, respectively; two first modulation electrodes are located at two sides of the first straight waveguide, respectively; two second modulation electrodes are located at two sides of the second straight waveguide, respectively; two third modulation electrodes are located at two sides of the third straight waveguide, respectively.

2. The chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the light source outputs broad-spectrum depolarized light into the input straight waveguide, and then the light is divided into TE (transverse electric) polarized light and TM (transverse magnetic) polarized light through the polarization beam splitting waveguide, wherein both the TE polarized light and the TM polarized light propagate along a horizontal direction;
the TE polarized light is divided into two beams of TE polarized branch light with same power through the first 1:2 type Y waveguide, wherein one of the two beams of TE polarized branch light passes through an upper branch of the first 1:2 type Y waveguide, the first magneto-optical waveguide, an upper branch of the first 2:1 type Y waveguide in sequence; another of the two beams of TE polarized branch light passes through a lower branch of the first 1:2 type Y waveguide, the first straight waveguide, a lower branch of the first 2:1 type Y waveguide in sequence; and then, the two beams of TE polarized branch light converge at a single port of the first 2:1 type Y waveguide, and finally are inputted to the first photodetector;
the TM polarized light is divided into two beams of TM polarized branch light with same power through the 1:1 power beam splitter; the two beams of TM polarized branch light propagate along a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, respectively; one of the two beams of TM polarized branch light, which propagates along the horizontal direction, is divided into two beams of first TM polarized sub-branch light with same power through the second 1:2 type Y waveguide, wherein one of the two beams of first TM polarized sub-branch light passes through an upper branch of the second 1:2 type Y waveguide, the second magneto-optical waveguide, an upper branch of the second 2:1 type Y waveguide in sequence; another of the two beams of first TM polarized sub-branch light passes through a lower branch of the second 1:2 type Y waveguide, the second straight waveguide, a lower branch of the second 2:1 type Y waveguide in sequence; the two beams of first TM polarized sub-branch light converge at a single port of the second 2:1 type Y waveguide, and finally are inputted to the second photodetector;
another of the two beams of TM polarized branch light, which propagates along the vertical direction, is divided into two beams of second TM polarized sub-branch light with same power through the third 1:2 type Y waveguide, wherein one of the two beams of second TM polarized sub-branch light passes through a left branch of the third 1:2 type Y waveguide, the third straight waveguide, a left branch of the third 2:1 type Y waveguide in sequence; another of the two beams of second TM polarized sub-branch light passes through a right branch of the third 1:2 type Y waveguide, the third magneto-optical waveguide, a right branch of the third 2:1 type Y waveguide in sequence; the two beams of second TM polarized sub-branch light converge at a single port of the third 2:1 type Y waveguide, and finally are inputted to the third photodetector.

3. The chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor according to claim 1 , wherein all of the input straight waveguide, the polarization beam splitting waveguide, the 1:1 power beam splitter, the first 1:2 type Y waveguide, the first straight waveguide, the first 2:1 type Y waveguide, the first output straight waveguide, the second 1:2 type Y waveguide, the second straight waveguide, the second 2:1 type Y waveguide, the second output straight waveguide, the third 1:2 type Y waveguide, the third straight waveguide, the third 2:1 type Y waveguide and the third output straight waveguide are ridge waveguides and integrated on a surface of a lithium niobate single crystal thin film layer; the lithium niobate single crystal thin film layer is located on an upper surface of a silica buffer layer, the silica buffer layer is located on an upper surface of a silicon substate and sandwiched between the lithium niobate single crystal thin film layer and the silicon substrate.

4. The chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor according to claim 3 , wherein all of the first modulation electrode, the second modulation electrode and the third modulation electrode are provided on an upper surface of the lithium niobate single crystal thin film layer.

5. The chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first magneto-optical waveguide, the second magneto-optical waveguide and the third magneto-optical waveguide comprises an upper cladding, a lower cladding and a core layer sandwiched between the upper cladding and the lower cladding; the core layer of the first magneto-optical waveguide is formed by bonding a magneto-optical material with a lithium niobate material, the upper cladding and the lower cladding of the first magneto-optical waveguide are made from a silica material; the core layer of the second magneto-optical waveguide and that of the third magneto-optical waveguide are made from the lithium niobate material, the upper cladding of the second magneto-optical waveguide and that of the third magneto-optical waveguide are made from the magneto-optical material, the lower cladding of the second magneto-optical waveguide and that of the third magneto-optical waveguide are made from a silica material.

6. The chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the first magneto-optical waveguide, the second magneto-optical waveguide and the third magneto-optical wavegu

Assignees

• Univ Zhejiang

Inventors

• She Xuan
• Yao Junjie
• Chen Kan
• Huang Tengchao
• Shu Xiaowu

Classifications

• G01R33/032 Primary

  using magneto-optic devices, e.g. Faraday {or Cotton-Mouton effect} · CPC title

• G01R33/0322 Primary

  using the Faraday or Voigt effect · CPC title

• G01R33/0206

  Three-component magnetometers · CPC title