Optical fiber with a variable refractive index profile

摘要

An optical waveguide, such as an optical fiber, which relies on a mechanism involving scattering in random structures to confine light to a region of the waveguide and allow propagation of electromagnetic radiation along the length of the waveguide includes an optically transmissive body having a length and a cross-section transverse to the length, wherein the optically transmissive body has refractive indices that are cross-sectionally random and substantially invariant along the length direction of the waveguide.

主权项

1. An optical waveguide comprising:
an optically transmissive body having a length and a cross-section transverse to the length, the optically transmissive body including a distributed phase having refractive indices that are distributed in a substantially random disordered manner over the entire cross-section, whereby light launched into the waveguide is confined in a direction transverse to the length of the waveguide due to the distributed refractive indices, such that the light is propagated along the length direction of the waveguide; wherein there are not any discernable regions having a cross sectional dimension greater than 20 micrometers that have an average refractive index that is substantially different from another region having a cross sectional dimension of at least 20 micrometers, and wherein there is no discernible core or cladding regions, and propagation does not occur via total internal reflection at a core-cladding interface, and wherein the optically transmissive body is surrounded by at least one glass or polymer coating layer or both that provides strength and support for the optically transmissive body.