Patent ID: 9263519
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: B82Y,H01L,Y02E,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus comprising: a plurality of nanowire pillars; a substrate supporting the plurality of nanowire pillars; wherein the plurality of nanowire pillars are arranged in a periodic array with the nanowire pillars erected substantially perpendicular to the substrate, the periodic array being a two dimensional periodic array; a light source in optical communication with the substrate at a first location above the substrate and at an angle with respect to the substrate to produce modulated light and illuminate the two dimensional periodic array of nanowire pillars on the substrate; wherein the nanowire pillars erected substantially perpendicular to the substrate are structured to undergo a change in a physical spacing between the nanowire pillars in concert with a deformation of the substrate in response to the modulated light illuminated thereupon based on an induced temperature variation in the substrate caused by optical absorption of the modulated light at the nanowire pillars; and an optical interferometer in optical communication with the substrate at a second location above the substrate and at an angle with respect to the substrate to receive light collected from the two dimensional periodic array of nanowire pillars on the substrate due to illumination by the modulated light to detect information carried by the received light from the two dimensional periodic array of nanowire pillars on the substrate that indicates a resonance change corresponding to the deformation of the substrate, wherein the substrate includes a material having flexural rigidity, and wherein the deformation of the substrate includes bending of the substrate based on thermal expansion such that the physical spacing changes between the nanowire pillars and a pitch between the nanowire pillars is constant.