Detector of near-infrared light

Electricity: measuring and testing – Particle precession resonance – Spectrometer components

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C324S309000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06806714

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-10735, filed Jan. 20, 2003, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a detector of near-infrared light.
2. Description of the Related Art
The detection of near-infrared light is applied to, for example, environmental measurement, such as the measurement of water droplets, dust in the atmosphere and the like, the detection of gas and the analysis of trace materials in various industrial fields. It is thought that the detection of near-infrared light will be applied further to medical diagnosis and the like in the future.
To be specific, there has been carried out measurement of fine particles by scattering in the atmosphere by the use of an infrared laser (observations of weather and the observations of air pollution by the distribution of cloud, fog, and the like). The size of the particles observed in this measurement depend on the wavelength of the infrared laser. For this reason, a high sensitivity device capable of detecting near-infrared light after passing through the atmosphere is needed in order to broaden the scope of measurable objects and to enable more detailed observation.
Further, trace materials can be analyzed by utilizing the fact that near-infrared light easily passes through animals and plants and that bodies absorbing molecules having functional groups including hydrogen (OH, NH, CH, and the like) exist in a near-infrared region. For this reason, similarly, it is desired to develop a detector of near-infrared light having high sensitivity.
Incidentally, feeble light is generally detectable by the use of a photodetector, such as photomultiplier tube or the like. However, a detector having high sensitivity for light in the near-infrared region does not exist, therefore it is desired to be developed.
As a detector of near-infrared light, one has been known that uses a light-emitting diode (avalanche photo diode) as a light receiving device and applies an electron multiplication action in the diode to the measurement of the number of photons of near-infrared light. However, in this detector, the light receiving device needs to be cooled in order to reduce noise and to amplify an S/N ratio and hence presents a problem that it has a complex structure.
On the other hand, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-74737 is disclosed a photodetector that has a high-frequency oscillator, a cavity resonator, a magnet for modulating a magnetic field, and a light-detecting part made of (Pr, Ca) MnO
3
and sweeps the magnetic field while applying a constant frequency thereby to detect a change in electron spin in the (Pr, Ca) MnO
3
as feeble light (for example, near-infrared light) with an ESR (electron spin resonance) measurement instrument.
However, the photodetector disclosed in the above-mentioned patent gazette has an operating temperature of a liquid nitrogen temperature or lower of from 50 K to 80 K and thus needs to be provided with a cryo-cooler. As a result, the photodetector is problematic, in terms of having a complex structure and being increased in size, which not only increases cost but also limits the usability.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a photodetector of near-infrared light that can detect near-infrared light at room temperature, with high sensitivity.
According to the invention, there is provided a detector of near-infrared light comprising:
a light receiving device having a perovskite-type composite oxide expressed by a general formula of La
1-x
Pr
x
CrO
3
(where 0<x<1); and
magnetization measuring means for measuring an increase in magnetization in the composite oxide of the light receiving device when the light receiving device is irradiated with near-infrared light at room temperature.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3636354 (1972-01-01), Leheny et al.
patent: 4500784 (1985-02-01), Hacskaylo
patent: 5263482 (1993-11-01), Leunbach
patent: 5604048 (1997-02-01), Nishihara et al.
patent: 5962205 (1999-10-01), Arakawa et al.
patent: 6093338 (2000-07-01), Tani et al.
patent: 6534670 (2003-03-01), Yoshisato
patent: 6570158 (2003-05-01), Feygin
patent: 2000-74737 (2000-03-01), None
23rdInternational Conference on Low Temperature Aug. 20-27, 2002. Hiroshima Japan—Takahiro et al.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Detector of near-infrared light does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Detector of near-infrared light, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Detector of near-infrared light will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3270382

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.