Interlayer directional coupling in antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides

Patent · Tue May 17 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:7029630

Koch, T L

An optical device is described comprising a first optical waveguiding layer including a first optical material having boundaries to guide light of a selected wavelenght in a predetermined direction, means abutting at least one of the boundaries of the first optical waveguiding layer for establishing an antiresonant reflection for a component of light propagating in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The means for establishing an antiresonant reflection includes at least a first reflector layer including a second optical material having an index of refraction greater than that of the first optical material. The optical device is characterized in that the first reflector layer also acts as a second optical waveguiding layer by conventional total internal reflection. The optical device includes means effective over a portion of the first and second optical waveguiding layers along the predetermined direction for coupling energy at the selected wavelength from the first optical waveguiding layer into the second optical waveguiding layer, and the second optical waveguiding layer is substantially parallel to the first optical waveguiding layer.

• Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Co., AT and T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ
• Patent Number(s): US 4745607
• OSTI ID: 7029630
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420800* -- Engineering-- Electronic Circuits & Devices-- (-1989)
DESIGN
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FIBERS
LAYERS
MATERIALS
OPTICAL FIBERS
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
RADIATIONS
REFLECTION
VISIBLE RADIATION
WAVEGUIDES