Patent ID: 8203718

Claim:
An optical interferometer comprising: a first photonic waveguide having an introduction point and an end, the first photonic waveguide formed in a spiral shape and having a photonic crystal structure capable of receiving a first beam of light at the introduction point of the first photonic waveguide, the photonic crystal structure of the first photonic waveguide being a plurality of pillars, positioned transverse to a propagation of the first beam of light, and at least one crystal slab, for creating a predefined path for the first beam of light; a second photonic waveguide having an introduction point and an end, the second photonic waveguide formed in a spiral shape substantially concentric with the first photonic waveguide in the same plane as the first photonic waveguide, the second photonic waveguide having a photonic crystal structure capable of receiving a second beam of light at the introduction point of the second photonic waveguide, the photonic crystal structure of the second photonic waveguide being a plurality of pillars, positioned transverse to a propagation of the second beam of light, and at least one crystal slab, for creating a predefined path for the second beam of light; a turn at the end of the first photonic waveguide connected to the end of the second photonic waveguide; and a light beam combiner for receiving the first beam of light after the first beam of light travels at least a portion of the predefined path for the first beam of light, and receiving the second beam of light after the second beam of light travels at least a portion of the predefined path for the second beam of light, and combining the first beam of light and the second beam of light into one beam.