FLEXIBLE DIELECTRIC WAVEGUIDE FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY MEDIUM IR WAVELENGTH TRANSMISSION

摘要

A flexible cylindrical cable enclosing an optical waveguide for the transmission of infrared laser light by means of a multiplicity of elongated solid rods disposed in a liquid medium. Both the material for the rods and the liquid medium are dielectrics selected for their ability to efficiently transmit infrared energy at a wavelength of 10.6 micrometers. Losses at the interface between the solid rods and the liquid medium are minimized by matching the respective materials' indices of refraction. In a preferred embodiment the rods are fabricated from ZnSe, the liquid is CS2 and the outer diameter of the cable is sufficiently small to permit passage through the human throat.