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EP0522637A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Planar optical element

Assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
•
Filing: 1992-07-02
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2012-07-02
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Abstract

Abstract The invention relates to a planar optical element comprising a light-conducting layer 10 on a supporting material 11 having a refractive index which is lower than that of the light-conducting layer, which light-conducting layer comprises one or more waveguide channels 13. The waveguide channels are laterally delimited by metal layers 14,15 which extend on either side of each waveguide channel, which metal layers are located between the supporting material and the light-conducting layer and directly contact said light-conducting layer. Preferably, the metal layers are provided in the form of electrodes, such that an electric field can be applied transversely across one or more waveguide channels. Such a planar optical element can be used, for example, as an optical switch and in a device for doubling the frequency of a lightwave.

Inventors

  • 👤 Antonius Henricus Johannes Venhuizen
  • 👤 Gerardus Ladislaus Johannes Andreas Rikken

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 19:51
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/10; G02B6/12; G02B6/122; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/061; G02F1/065; G02F1/35; G02F1/37; G02F1/377; G02F2201/00; G02F2201/06

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 73 words
A planar optical element comprising a light-conducting layer on a supporting material having a refractive index which is lower than that of the light-conducting layer, said light-conducting layer comprising one or more waveguide channels, characterized in that the waveguide channels are laterally delimited by metal layers extending on either side of each waveguide channel, which metal layers are located between the supporting material and the light-conducting layer and directly contact said light-conducting layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 19 words
A planar optical element as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the metal layers are made of silver.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 23 words
A planar optical element as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light-conducting layer consists of a nonlinear optical medium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 37 words
A planar optical element as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that the metal layers are provided in the form of electrodes, such that an electric field can be applied transversely across one or more waveguide channels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 34 words
A planar optical element as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the light-conducting layer is coated with a protective layer having a refractive index which is lower than that of the light-conducting layer.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 101 words
A device for doubling the frequency of a lightwave, in which device a fundamental lightwave is guided through a waveguide channel in a light-conducting layer while forming a second harmonic wave, which light-conducting layer is provided on a supporting material having a refractive index which is lower than that of the light-conducting layer, said light-conducting layer consisting of a nonlinear optical medium, characterized in that the waveguide channel is laterally delimited by metal layers extending on either side of the waveguide channel, which metal layers are located between the supporting material and the light-conducting layer and directly contact said light-conducting layer.

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