US Patent 7330299 - CNT heterodyned optical amplifier

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7330299.html

This patent from Ambit Corp. is fairly fundamental to the use of carbon nanotubes in optical heterodyning which is important for modulation and demodulation in communication applications. Ambit Corp. actually has a fairly impressive patent portfolio for basic optical applications of CNTs with priority going back to 1997. If applications are created based on optical resonances of nanotubes, Ambit's patents may become as critical as Till Keesmann's patent for electron emitting CNTs used in flat panel displays. Claims 1 and 9 read:

1. A method of amplifying a signal with a carbon nanotube device, comprising: applying a first signal to said carbon nanotube device; applying a second signal to said carbon nanotube device; and outputting a sum or product of said first signal and said second signal from said carbon nanotube device.

9. A method of using a carbon nanotube assembly, comprising: arranging a signal responsive array of nanotubes on a substrate; heterodyning a signal processed by said array of nanotubes on said substrate.