摘要:
This invention relates to devices for coupling light between an optical waveguide and an optical element in a manner that is substantially independent of temperature, using reflective optics. Certain embodiments of the invention concern improved designs for the transmit and receive optics of a waveguide-based optical touch screen sensor, incorporating reflective optics. The improved designs have substantially temperature independent operation and reduced optical losses. In one preferred embodiment the improved design incorporates a parabolic or quasi-parabolic reflector. In another preferred embodiment the improved design incorporates an elliptical or quasi-elliptical reflector. The transmit and receive elements and associated waveguides preferably comprise photo-patternable polymers.
摘要:
This invention relates to devices for coupling light between an optical waveguide and an optical element in a manner that is substantially independent of temperature, using reflective optics. Certain embodiments of the invention concern improved designs for the transmit and receive optics of a waveguide-based optical touch screen sensor, incorporating reflective optics. The improved designs have substantially temperature independent operation and reduced optical losses. In one preferred embodiment the improved design incorporates a parabolic or quasi-parabolic reflector. In another preferred embodiment the improved design incorporates an elliptical or quasi-elliptical reflector. The transmit and receive elements and associated waveguides preferably comprise photo-patternable polymers.
摘要:
A planar lenses for integrated optics applications, in particular for use in optical touch screen sensors are disclosed. The disclosed planar lenses include a slab waveguide and an optical waveguide, preferably formed in unitary fashion, wherein the slab waveguide has a curved end face to focus light into or out of the optical waveguide, and wherein at least one additional lens is included within the slab waveguide. In one aspect of this disclosure, the additional lens is a diverging lens. In a second aspect the additional lens is a converging lens. The additional lens may match the acceptance angle of the optical waveguide to the curved end face of the slab waveguide. Alternatively, it may improve the tolerance of the planar lens to design or assembly errors and/or temperature variations. Preferably, the planar lenses are composed of a photo-patternable polymer, and the additional lenses are composed of air.
摘要:
Planar lenses for integrated optics applications, in particular for use in optical touch screen sensors are disclosed. The disclosed planar lenses include a slab waveguide and an optical waveguide, preferably formed in unitary fashion, wherein the slab waveguide has a curved end face to focus light into or out of the optical waveguide, and wherein at least one additional lens is included within the slab waveguide. In one aspect of this disclosure, the additional lens is a diverging lens. In a second aspect the additional lens is a converging lens. The additional lens may match the acceptance angle of the optical waveguide to the curved end face of the slab waveguide. Alternatively, it may improve the tolerance of the planar lens to design or assembly errors and/or temperature variations. Preferably, the planar lenses are composed of a photo-patternable polymer, and the additional lenses are composed of air.
摘要:
A laser beam with an annular or ring shaped intensity distribution, such as a TEM01* beam, is scanned across the surface of a photosensitive thin film to directly produce changes of refractive index in selected regions of the film. This method is suitable for producing channel waveguides for planar lightwave circuits, where the refractive index profile (solid curve) of such a waveguide is more uniform than the prior art refractive index profile (dashed curve) produced by a TEM00 laser beam, and has a reduced bend loss.
摘要:
Powerful nanosecond-range lasers using low repetition rate pulsed laser deposition produce numerous macroscopic size particles and droplets, which embed in thin film coatings. This problem has been addressed by lowering the pulse energy, keeping the laser intensity optional for evaporation, so that significant numbers of the macroscopic particles and droplets are no longer present in the evaporated plume. The result is deposition of evaporated plume on a substrate to form thin film of very high surface quality. Preferably, the laser pulses have a repetition rate to produce a continuous flow of evaporated material at the substrate. Pulse-range is typically picosecond and femtosecond and repetition rate kilohertz to hundreds of megahertz. The process may be carried out in the presence of a buffer gas, which may be inert or reactive, and the increased vapour density and therefore the collision frequency between evaporated atoms leads to the formation of nanostructured materials of increasing interest, because of their peculiar structural, electronic and mechanical properties. One of these is carbon nanotubes, which is a new form of carbon belonging to the fullerene (C60) family. Carbon nanotubes are seamless, single or multishell co-axial cylindrical tubules with or without dome caps at the extremities. Typically diameters range from 1 nm to 50 nm with a length >1 &mgr;m. The electronic structure may be either metallic or semiconducting without any change in the chemical bonding or adding of dopant. In addition, the materials have application to a wide range of established thin film applications.
摘要:
A solid state laser beam generating system includes a solid state laser which produces a laser beam having a wavelength outside the eyesafe range of 1.5 .mu.m to 1.8 .mu.m. A converter including a non-linear structure is used to convert the laser beam to a beam having a wavelength within the eyesafe range. The non-linear structure has three defined principal axes and the input laser beam to the structure travels in a direction offset from one of the principal axes by an angle greater than 2.degree..
摘要:
Optical switching devices for use in photonics applications are created in a body of an optically transparent defocusing material having a third order non-linear susceptibility which is negative. The switching devices use optical waveguides which are created by the propagation through the material of dark spatial solitons, which are induced when an intense quasi-planar light wave, having an amplitude or phase perturbation to at least one point or region of its wavefront, is projected onto at least one location on the surface of the body, to cause a change in its refractive index at the (or each) location. If the change in refractive index is rapid and transitory, an active photonic device is created. The devices created include steerable optical switches, cross-couplers, and multi-port optical switchyards.
摘要:
A tuneable filter arrangement (10) includes a plurality of tuneable Bragg gratings (22, 24), each grating (22, 24) arranged, in use, to be independently tuneable to different wavelengths, a first switch (16) for selectively directing an incoming optical signal (26) to any one of the gratings (22, 24), a first optical element (18) arranged, in use, such that an optical signal transmitted through any one of the gratings (22, 24) is directable to a through-output of the filter arrangement (10), and an optical drop structure (20) arranged, in use, such that a filtered optical signal from any one of the gratings (22, 24) is dropped at a drop-output (28) of the filter arrangement (10). The first switch (16) and the first optical element (18) maybe Y junction thermo-optic switches, and the optical drop structure (20) may be an optical circulator. Another optical circulator may be provided at the through-output of the filter arrangement (10) for adding WDM channels to the through-output signal.
摘要:
This invention relates to an apparatus in which laser pulses of up to about one nanosecond duration (.about.10.sup.-9 secs) and high intensity, more than 10.sup.11 watts cm.sup.-2, generate energetic (>>10 keV) ions, which can have very high charge states of more than twenty times the charge state of a single electron, from solid or liquid targets using non-liner, electrodynamic forces operating within the target material. In the present invention the energetic, highly charged ions are produced in such a manner that isotopes of a particular element forming the target can be separated into their respective groups travelling at particular velocities and directions, at distances of more than one meter from the irradiated target. In the present invention, the energetic, highly charged ions are generated and accelerated with high efficiency (>25%) within a relatively cold plasma (