21338results about "Optical waveguide light guide" patented technology

The present invention relates to optical confinements, methods of preparing and methods of using them for analyzing molecules and / or monitoring chemical reactions. The apparatus and methods embodied in the present invention are particularly useful for high-throughout and low-cost single-molecular analysis.

The present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for analysis of an analyte. The method involves providing a zero-mode waveguide which includes a cladding surrounding a core where the cladding is configured to preclude propagation of electromagnetic energy of a frequency less than a cutoff frequency longitudinally through the core of the zero-mode waveguide. The analyte is positioned in the core of the zero-mode waveguide and is then subjected, in the core of the zero-mode waveguide, to activating electromagnetic radiation of a frequency less than the cut-off frequency under conditions effective to permit analysis of the analyte in an effective observation volume which is more compact than if the analysis were carried out in the absence of the zero-mode waveguide.

Holey optical fibers (e.g. photonic fibers, random-hole fibers) are fabricated with quantum dots disposed in the holes. The quantum dots can provide light amplification and sensing functions, for example. When used for sensing, the dots will experience altered optical properties (e.g. altered fluorescence or absorption wavelength) in response to certain chemicals, biological elements, radiation, high energy particles, electrical or magnetic fields, or thermal / mechanical deformations. Since the dots are disposed in the holes, the dots interact with the evanescent field of core-confined light. Quantum dots can be damaged by high heat, and so typically cannot be embedded within conventional silica optical fibers. In the present invention, dots can be carried into the holes by a solvent at room temperature. The present invention also includes solid glass fibers made of low melting point materials (e.g. phosphate glass, lead oxide glass) with embedded quantum dots.

The present invention relates to optical confinements, methods of preparing and methods of using them for analyzing molecules and / or monitoring chemical reactions. The apparatus and methods embodied in the present invention are particularly useful for high-throughput and low-cost single-molecular analysis.

Apparatus and method are provided for transmitting at least one electro-magnetic radiation is provided. In particular, at least one optical fiber having at least one end extending along a first axis may be provided. Further, a light transmissive optical arrangement may be provided in optical cooperation with the optical fiber. The optical arrangement may have a first surface having a portion that is perpendicular to a second axis, and a second surface which includes a curved portion. The first axis can be provided at a particular angle that is more than 0° and less than 90° with respect to the second axis.

A method of forming features on substrates by imprinting is provided. The method comprises: (a) forming a polymer solution comprising at least one polymer dissolved in at least one polymerizable monomer; and (b) depositing the polymer solution on a substrate to form a liquid film thereon; and then either: (c) curing the liquid film by causing the monomer(s) to polymerize and optionally cross-linking the polymer(s) to thereby form a polymer film, the polymer film having a glass transition temperature (Tg); and imprinting the polymer film with a mold having a desired pattern to form a corresponding negative pattern in the polymer film, or (d) imprinting the liquid film with the mold and curing it to form the polymer film. The temperature of imprinting is as little as 10° C. above the Tg, or even less if the film is in the liquid state. The pressure of the imprinting can be within the range of 100 to 500 psi.

An improved optical fiber achieves both reduced bending and microbending losses, as well as a much higher Brillouin threshold, as compared to standard transmission fibers. The optical fiber comprises a core including at least two dopants and having a refractive index difference Δn1 with an outer optical cladding, a first inner cladding having a refractive index difference Δn2 with the outer cladding, and a depressed, second inner cladding having a refractive index difference Δn3 with the outer cladding of less than −3×10−3. The radial concentration of at least one of the core dopants varies continuously over the entire core region of the optical fiber.

A modular, compact and widely tunable laser system for the efficient generation of high peak and high average power ultrashort pulses. Modularity is ensured by the implementation of interchangeable amplifier components. System compactness is ensured by employing efficient fiber amplifiers, directly or indirectly pumped by diode lasers. Peak power handling capability of the fiber amplifiers is expanded by using optimized pulse shapes, as well as dispersively broadened pulses. After amplification, the dispersively stretched pulses can be re-compressed to nearly their bandwidth limit by the implementation of another set of dispersive delay lines. To ensure a wide tunability of the whole system, Raman-shifting of the compact sources of the ultrashort pulses in conjunction with frequency-conversion in nonlinear optical crystals can be implemented, or an Anti-Stokes fiber in conjunction with fiber amplifiers and Raman-shifters are used.

A super-large-effective-area (SLA) optical fiber that is suitable for communicating over a wide wavelength range and that, because of its large effective area, suppresses nonlinear effects that typically result from interaction between signal channels. The effective area, Aeff, of the SLA fiber of the present invention preferably is equal to or greater than approximately 80 μm2 at a wavelength window around 1310 nm. The cutoff wavelength of the SLA fiber of the present invention preferably is less than 1310 nm. Thus, the SLA fiber of the present invention has a very large effective area and a very low cutoff wavelength. In accordance with the present invention, a variety of SLA fibers are provided that all have very large effective areas and desirable transmission properties. The large effective areas of the SLA fibers of the present invention enable nonlinear effects to be suppressed, as well as Stimulated Brillouin Scattering in analog transmission. The large effective areas also enable attenuation to be reduced. The result of suppressing nonlinear effects and reducing attenuation enable signals to be transmitted over long distances and over a broad bandwidth.

An optical fiber according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a glass core extending from a centerline to a radius R1 wherein R1 is greater than about 5 μm; a glass cladding surrounding and in contact with the core, the cladding comprising: (i) a first annular region extending from the radius R1 to a radius R2, the first annular region comprising a radial width, W2=R2−R1, (ii) a second annular region extending from the radius R2 to a radius R3, and comprising a radial width, W3=R3−R2, and (iii) a third annular region surrounding the second annular region and extending from the radius R3 to an outermost glass radius R4; wherein the core comprises a maximum relative refractive index, Δ1MAX, relative to the third annular region, and wherein Δ1MAX is greater than about 0.1% and less than about 0.3%; the first annular region has a refractive index delta Δ2(r) is less than about 0.025%; wherein the second annular region comprises a minimum relative refractive index, Δ3MIN, relative to the third annular region;wherein Δ1MAX>Δ2MAX>Δ3MIN, and Δ2MIN>Δ3MIN<0; andwherein the core and the cladding provide a fiber with cable cutoff less than 1500 nm, and an effective area at 1550 nm greater than 95 μm2 and bend loss of ≦0.5 dB / turn on a 20 mm diameter mandrel.

A method and system of creating one or more waveguides and / or patterning these waveguides to form a 3D microstructure that uses mask and collimated light. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one collimated light source selected to produce a collimated light beam; a reservoir having a photo-monomer adapted to polymerize by the collimated light beam; and a mask having at least one aperture and positioned between the at least one collimated light source and the reservoir. Here, the at least one aperture is adapted to guide a portion of the collimated light beam into the photo-monomer to form the at least one polymer waveguide through a portion of a volume of the photo-monomer.

Photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. A device may be characterized by an architecture having a nanostructured template made from an n-type first charge transfer material with template elements between about 1 nm and about 500 nm in diameter with about 1012 to 1016 elements / m2. A p-type second charge-transfer material optionally coats the walls of the template elements leaving behind additional space. A p-type third charge-transfer material fills the additional space volumetrically interdigitating with the second charge transfer material.

A diffractive beam expander (50) comprises an input grating (10), a crossed grating (20), and an output grating (30) implemented on a planar transparent substrate (7). The crossed grating (20) comprises a plurality of diffractive features (23) arranged along the lines of a first set of parallel lines (25) and along the lines of a second set of parallel lines (26) such that the lines (25) of the first set are parallel to the lines (26) of the second set. The lines of the first set have a first grating period and the lines of the second set have a second grating period. A light beam (B1) coupled into the substrate (7) by the input grating (10) impinges on the crossed grating (20) at a first location (EC1) and further locations (EC2). Interaction at the first location (EC1) provides several sub-beams (S00, S01, S10) which propagate in different directions. Further interactions at second locations (EC2) provide further sub-beams (V01, U10) which propagate in the same direction as the original in-coupled light (B1). Light is subsequently coupled out of the substrate (7) by the output grating (30) to provide a light beam (B2) which is expanded in two directions (SX, SZ) with respect to the beam (B0) impinging on the input grating. A virtual display device (200) may comprise said diffractive beam expander (50).

A flat-panel projection display comprises a transparent slab and integral area grating, a transparent rod with rectangular cross-section and integral linear grating, arranged along the edge of the slab, and a small video projector. The projector is arranged to direct a virtual image into the end of the rod, directly or via mirrors, the light travelling along the rod via total internal reflection. The linear grating diverts the light into the plane of the slab, and the area grating projects it out of the slab towards a viewer, so that the viewer sees an image at infinity.

Disclosed is a low bend loss optical fiber including: a core; an inner layer disposed at outside of the core, which has a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the core, the refractive index of the inner layer gradually decreasing as it becomes farther from the core; and a trench layer disposed at outside of the inner layer, which has a lowest refractive index.

An optical fiber cable has an optical fiber core wire and a tension member. The tension member is formed of a glass fiber reinforced resin linear material with glass fibers and a matrix resin, and satisfies the following requirements: (1) (EfVf+EmVm)d2≧8.3 / n wherein Ef represents the modulus of elasticity of glass fibers, GPa; Vf represents the content of glass fibers, % / 100; Em represents the modulus of elasticity of matrix resin, GPa; Vm represents the content of matrix resin, % / 100; d represents the diameter of tension member, mm; and n represents the number of tension members used in optical fiber cable; (2) (Ef / Em)≧22; (3) Vf=0.6 to 0.88; and (4) an elongation at break of glass fibers of not less than 5% and an elongation at break of matrix resin of not less than 5%.