Leaky wave couplers for guided elastic wave and guided optical wave devices

Claim 2

A leaky wave coupler comprising: a bulk material having a first phase velocity characteristic in which waves propagate; a first longitudinal region in said bulk material, having a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic wherein said first longitudinal region guides said waves; a second longitudinal region in said bulk material, having a third phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic spaced from said first longitudinal region; a coupling region having a fourth phase velocity characteristic less than said second and third phase velocity characteristic, in said bulk material between a portion of said first longitudinal region and said second longitudinal region wherein said coupling region causes said waves to transfer between said first longitudinal regions and said second longitudinal region; an input means for coupling said waves into said first longitudinal region; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said second longitudinal region.

Claim 3

A leaky wave coupler comprising: a bulk material with a first phase velocity characteristic having a surface upon which waves propagate; a first longitudinal region positioned upon said surface of said bulk material, with a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic wherein said first longitudinal region guides said waves; a second longitudinal region with a third phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic positioned upon said surface of said bulk material spaced from said first longitudinal region; a coupling region with a fourth phase velocity characteristic less than said second phase velocity characteristic and said third phase velocity characteristic positioned upon said surface of said bulk material between a portion of said first longitudinal region and said second longitudinal region wherein said coupling region causes said waves to transfer between said first longitudinal region and said second longitudinal region; an input means for coupling said waves into said first longitudinal region; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said second longitudinal region.

Claim 4

A leaky wave coupler comprising: a bulk material with a first phase velocity characteristic having a surface upon which waves propagate; a first longitudinal region positioned upon said surface of said bulk material, with a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic wherein said first longitudinal region guides said waves; a second longitudinal region with a third phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic positioned upon said surface of said bulk material spaced from said first longitudinal region; a coupling region with a fourth phase velocity characteristic less than said second phase velocity characteristic and said third phase velocity characteristic positioned upon said surface of said bulk material between a portion of said first longitudinal region and said second longitudinal region wherein said coupling region causes said waves to transfer between said first longitudinal region and said second longitudinal region; an input means for coupling said waves into said first longitudinal region; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said second longitudinal region.

Claim 5

A switchable leaky wave coupler comprising: a bulk material with a first phase velocity characteristic having a surface upon which waves propagate; a first longitudinal region with a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic positioned upon said surface of said bulk material wherein said first longitudinal region guides said waves; a second longitudinal region with a third phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic, positioned upon said surface of said bulk material spaced from said first longitudinal region; a coupling region positioned upon said surface of said bulk material positioned between and for switchably coupling waves between a portion of said first longitudinal region and said second longitudinal region; an electric field source directed towards said coupling region for producing an electric field; control circuitry connected to said electric field source; said coupling region having a fourth phase velocity characteristic greater than said second and said third phase velocity characteristic in the presence of a first polarity of said electric field, for conducting said waves from said first to said second longitudinal region, and less than said second and said third phase velocity characteristics in the presence of the second polarity of said electric field, for preventing the conduction of said waves from said first to said second longitudinal region; an input means for coupling said waves into said first longitudinal region; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said second longitudinal region.

Claim 6

A switchable leaky wave coupler comprising: a bulk material with a first phase velocity characteristic having a surface upon which waves propagate; a first longitudinal region with a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic positioned upon said surface of said bulk material wherein said first longitudinal region guides said waves; a second longitudinal region with a third phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic, positioned upon said surface of said bulk material spaced from said first longitudinal region; a coupling region positioned upon said surface of said bulk material positioned between and for switchably coupling waves between a portion of said first longitudinal region and said second longitudinal region; an electric field source directed towards said coupling region for producing an electric field; control circuitry connected to said electric field source; said coupling region having a fourth phase velocity characteristic greater than said second and said third phase velocity characteristic in the presence of a first polarity of said electric field, for conducting said waves from said first to said second longitudinal region, and less than said second and said third phase velocity characteristics in the presence of the second polarity of said electric field, for preventing the conduction of said waves from said first to said second longitudinal region; an input means for coupling said waves into said first longitudinal region; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said second longitudinal region.

Claim 7

A leaky wave surface-to-surface coupler comprising: a bulk material with a first phase velocity characteristic having a first surface and a second surface opposite one another upon which waves propagate; a first layer positioned upon said first surface in the path of said waves propagating on said first surface said first layer having a second phase velocity characteristic greater than said first phase velocity characteristic; said first layer propagating the evanscent portion of said waves coupling said layer at a faster rate than the portion of the waves remaining in the bulk material, thereby steering the wave front of said waves toward said bulk material and causing said waves to leak into said bulk material; a second layer positioned upon said second surface in the path of said waves leaked into said bulk material by said first layer, said second layer having a third phase velocity characteristic greater than said first phase velocity characteristic; an input means for coupling said waves into said first surface; and an output means for coupling said waves off of said second surface.

Claim 8

A leaky wave surface-to-surface coupler comprising: a bulk material with a first phase velocity characteristic having a first surface and a second surface opposite one another upon which waves propagate; a first layer positioned upon said first surface in the path of said waves propagating on said first surface said first layer having a second phase velocity characteristic greater than said first phase velocity characteristic; said first layer propagating the evanscent portion of said waves coupling said layer at a faster rate than the portion of the waves remaining in the bulk material, thereby steering the wave front of said waves toward said bulk material and causing said waves to leak into said bulk material; a second layer positioned upon said second surface in the path of said waves leaked into said bulk material by said first layer, said second layer having a third phase velocity characteristic greater than said first phase velocity characteristic; an input means for coupling said waves into said first surface; and an output means for coupling said waves off of said second surface.

Claim 9

A leaky wave surface-to-bulk coupler comprising: a bulk material with a first phase velocity characteristic having a surface upon which waves propagate; a layer positioned upon said surface in the path of said waves propagating on said surface, said layer having a second phase velocity characteristic greater than said first phase velocity characteristic; said layer propagating the evanscent portion of said waves coupling said layer at a faster rate than the portion of said waves remaining in said bulk material, thereby steering the wave front of said waves toward said bulk material and causing said waves to leak from said surface into said bulk material; an input means for coupling said waves into said surface; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said bulk material.

Claim 10

A leaky wave surface-to-bulk coupler comprising: a bulk material with a first phase velocity characteristic having a surface upon which waves propagate; a layer positioned upon said surface in the path of said waves propagating on said surface, said layer having a second phase velocity characteristic greater than said first phase velocity characteristic; said layer propagating the evanscent portion of said waves coupling said layer at a faster rate than the portion of said waves remaining in said bulk material, thereby steering the wave front of said waves toward said bulk material and causing said waves to leak from said surface into said bulk material; an input means for coupling said waves into said surface; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said bulk material.

Claim 11

A leaky wave coupler comprising: a bulk material having a first phase velocity characteristic in which waves propagate; a first longitudinal region in said bulk material, having a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic wherein said first longitudinal region guides said waves; a second longitudinal region in said bulk material, having a third phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic spaced from said first longitudinal region; a first coupling region with a fourth phase velocity characteristic less than said second phase velocity characteristic positioned within a portion of said first longitudinal region wherein said first coupling region causes said waves propagating in said first longitudinal region to leak into said bulk material; a seCond coupling region with a fifth phase velocity characteristic less than said third phase velocity characteristic positioned within said second longitudinal region wherein said second coupling region causes said waves leaked into said bulk material to couple into said longitudinal region; an input means for coupling said waves into said first longitudinal region; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said second longitudinal region.

Claim 12

A leaky wave coupler comprising: a bulk material having a first phase velocity characteristic in which waves propagate; a first longitudinal region in said bulk material, having a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic wherein said first longitudinal region guides said waves; a second longitudinal region in said bulk material, having a third phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic spaced from said first longitudinal region; a first coupling region with a fourth phase velocity characteristic less than said second phase velocity characteristic positioned within a portion of said first longitudinal region wherein said first coupling region causes said waves propagating in said first longitudinal region to leak into said bulk material; a seCond coupling region with a fifth phase velocity characteristic less than said third phase velocity characteristic positioned within said second longitudinal region wherein said second coupling region causes said waves leaked into said bulk material to couple into said longitudinal region; an input means for coupling said waves into said first longitudinal region; and an output means for coupling said waves out of said second longitudinal region.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising: an inter-guide region within said bulk material positioned between said first longitudinal region and said second longitudinal region, said inter-guide region having a sixth phase velocity characteristic greater than said second and third phase velocity characteristics, and less than said first and fourth and fifth phase velocity characteristics.

Claim 14

A switchable film-to-bulk coupler comprising: a transparent bulk material having a first phase velocity characteristic in which waves propagate; an in-the-plane material within said bulk material, having a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic wherein said in-the-plane material guides said waves; a switchable material located within said in-the-plane material; an electric field source directed towards said switchable material for producing an electric field; control circuitry connected to said electric field source; said switchable material having a third phase velocity characteristic approximately equal to said second phase velocity characteristic in the presence of a first polarity of said electric field and greater than said second phase velocity characteristic in the presence of a second polarity of said electric field; an input means for coupling said waves into said in-the-plane material; and a detecting means for detecting the output of said film-to-bulk coupler.

Claim 15

A switchable film-to-bulk coupler comprising: a transparent bulk material having a first phase velocity characteristic in which waves propagate; an in-the-plane material within said bulk material, having a second phase velocity characteristic less than said first phase velocity characteristic wherein said in-the-plane material guides said waves; a switchable material located within said in-the-plane material; an electric field source directed towards said switchable material for producing an electric field; control circuitry connected to said electric field source; said switchable material having a third phase velocity characteristic approximately equal to said second phase velocity characteristic in the presence of a first polarity of said electric field and greater than said second phase velocity characteristic in the presence of a second polarity of said electric field; an input means for coupling said waves into said in-the-plane material; and a detecting means for detecting the output of said film-to-bulk coupler.