Patents by Inventor Eric Shaner

Eric Shaner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Thermal imager using metamaterials
    Patent number: 8450690
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for detecting terahertz radiation at room temperature. A detecting pixel includes a sub-wavelength split-ring resonator, and is mechanically coupled to (but thermally decoupled from) a substrate via a cantilever formed from two materials that have a significant mismatch in their thermal expansion coefficients. Incident radiation causes the split-ring resonator to resonate, thereby generating heat that is transferred to the cantilever, causing the cantilever to flex. An optical readout system includes a secondary light source, such as a laser, that shines on a reflective surface on the pixel, whereby a photodiode detects the reflected light and permits calculation of a relative deflection of the pixel in the nanometer range. An exemplary detector has a noise equivalent power rating of approximately 60 pW/?Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignees: Trustees of Boston University, Trustees of Boston College
    Inventors: Richard Averitt, Xin Zhang, Hu Tao, Andrew Strikwerda, Willie J. Padilla, Eric Shaner
  • Thermal Imager Using Metamaterials
    Publication number: 20120261575
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for detecting terahertz radiation at room temperature. A detecting pixel includes a sub-wavelength split-ring resonator, and is mechanically coupled to (but thermally decoupled from) a substrate via a cantilever formed from two materials that have a significant mismatch in their thermal expansion coefficients. Incident radiation causes the split-ring resonator to resonate, thereby generating heat that is transferred to the cantilever, causing the cantilever to flex. An optical readout system includes a secondary light source, such as a laser, that shines on a reflective surface on the pixel, whereby a photodiode detects the reflected light and permits calculation of a relative deflection of the pixel in the nanometer range. An exemplary detector has a noise equivalent power rating of approximately 60 pW/?Hz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Richard Averitt, Xin Zhang, Hu Tao, Andrew Strikwerda, Willie J. Padilla, Eric Shaner