Inclined Optical Waveguide for Total Internal Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light emitting devices lack efficient structures for incident laser light into optical waveguides, leading to reduced propagation efficiency and wavelength conversion efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A light emitting device with a waveguide structure featuring an optical waveguide inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the light's optical axis, allowing for total internal reflection and enhanced wavelength conversion efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the optical waveguide is inclined at a predetermined angle to enable total internal reflection, then propagation efficiency and wavelength conversion efficiency are improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The optical waveguide is designed with an asymmetric inclination angle θ relative to the optical axis, creating an asymmetric structure that enables total internal reflection at the waveguide-exterior part boundary. This asymmetric geometry allows light to propagate efficiently through the waveguide while converting wavelength, resolving the contradiction by accepting structural complexity as necessary to achieve the desired optical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes specific parameters including the inclination angle θ of the optical waveguide, the refractive indices of the waveguide core and cladding layers, and the dimensions of the waveguide structure. By carefully selecting and adjusting these parameters, the system achieves efficient total internal reflection and wavelength conversion, balancing the trade-off between productivity improvement and device complexity.
2Productivity
If the optical waveguide is inclined at a predetermined angle to enable total internal reflection, then wavelength conversion efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The optical waveguide structure is designed with pre-calculated inclination angles and geometric parameters that are determined during the design phase. This preliminary design approach allows the waveguide to be manufactured with standard precision tolerances while still achieving the desired total internal reflection and wavelength conversion efficiency, reducing the need for post-manufacturing alignment adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention specifies optimized parameter ranges for the waveguide inclination angle θ and other geometric parameters that balance manufacturing feasibility with optical performance. By selecting parameters within these optimized ranges, the system achieves high wavelength conversion efficiency while maintaining reasonable manufacturing precision requirements.
3Loss of energy
If the optical waveguide structure is designed for total internal reflection, then light utilization efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the potential harm of light loss at waveguide boundaries into a beneficial effect by designing the waveguide with an inclined angle that enables total internal reflection. This transforms what would normally be reflective losses at interfaces into useful confined propagation, improving light utilization efficiency while the multi-layer waveguide structure, though more complex, provides the necessary optical confinement.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical waveguide employs a composite multi-layer structure with different refractive indices (core layer, cladding layers, and exterior part) to achieve total internal reflection. This composite material approach allows efficient light confinement and propagation through the inclined waveguide, improving light utilization efficiency while distributing the structural complexity across multiple functional layers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed solution reduces damage to the light source and improves both the utilization efficiency and wavelength conversion efficiency of the light emitted.
Implementation Method 1
The optical waveguide is configured to convert a wavelength of the light incident from the incident end surface and emit the light from the emission end surface
Implementation Method 2
The predetermined angle is set to allow the light to propagate in the optical waveguide with total internal reflection at a boundary surface between the optical waveguide and the exterior part
Data Source
AI summary
A light emitting device includes a light source and a waveguide structure. The light source emits light having a directionality. The waveguide structure includes an optical waveguide and an exterior part. The optical waveguide has an incident end surface and an emission end surface, converts a wavelength of the light incident from the incident end surface, and emits the light from the emission end surface. The exterior part is optically transparent and covers the optical waveguide such that the incident end surface and the emission end surface are exposed from the exterior part. The optical waveguide is elongated in a length direction. The length direction of the optical waveguide is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an optical axis of the light in a predetermined plane including the length direction of the optical waveguide and the optical axis of the light. The predetermined angle is set to allow the light to propagate in the optical waveguide with total internal reflection at a boundary surface between the optical waveguide and the exterior part.