Optical waveguides – Noncyclindrical or nonplanar shaped waveguide
Patent
1998-03-04
2000-09-26
Ngo, Hung N.
Optical waveguides
Noncyclindrical or nonplanar shaped waveguide
385125, 385 37, 385 33, 385 46, G02B 620
Patent
active
06125228&
ABSTRACT:
The present invention uses a light-pipe for beam splitting, combining, hybrid space-wavelength multiplexing, hybrid space-wavelength demultiplexing, dense wavelength division multiplexing, and dense wavelength division demultiplexing. A light-pipe has a first end where light enters the light-pipe and a second end where the light exits the light-pipe. The light-pipe is a polygonal rod or a hollow reflective cavity. To perform beam splitting, light enters the first end of the light-pipe and reflects off of the side surfaces inside the light-pipe producing additional light beams. By placing an imaging lens at the output end of the light-pipe, all of the virtual images (n-1) of the additional light beams and the original light entering the light-pipe become the object of the imaging lens. As a result, the light-pipe acts as a 1-to-n splitter. If the input signal, that is, the light entering the light-pipe, has more than one wavelength and a grating is added to the second end of the light-pipe, the device becomes a hybrid space-wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer. If the spacing between adjacent wavelengths is small, the light-pipe becomes a Dense Wavelength Division Demultiplexer. If the input and output are reversed, the beam splitter becomes a combiner. If the inputs have different wavelengths, the light-pipe becomes a Wavelength Division Multiplexer.
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Ngo Hung N.
Swales Aerospace, Inc.
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