MICROSTRUCTURED FIBER OPTIC OSCILLATOR AND WAVEGUIDE FOR FIBER SCANNER

• US 20180180875A1
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Published: 06/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Inventors: Dalrymple, Timothy Mark, Carlisle, Clinton, Schaefer, Jason, Duenner, Andrew C., Mathur, Vaibhav
• Granted Patent: US 10,451,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/0098 for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/103 having movable or deformable optical fibres, light guides or waveguides as scanning elements light guides per se G02B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02042 Multicore optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02347 Longitudinal structures arranged to form a regular periodic lattice, e.g. triangular, square, honeycomb unit cell repeated throughout cladding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02361 Longitudinal structures forming multiple layers around the core, e.g. arranged in multiple rings with each ring having longitudinal elements at substantially the same radial distance from the core, having rotational symmetry about the fibre axis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02366 Single ring of structures, e.g. "air clad"
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02371 Cross section of longitudinal structures is non-circular
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02385 Comprising liquid, e.g. fluid filled holes

Abstract

Described are optical fibers and scanning fiber displays comprising optical fibers. The disclosed optical fibers include a plurality of mass adjustment regions, such as gas-filled regions, positioned between a central waveguiding element and an outer periphery for reducing a mass of the optical fiber as compared to an optical fiber lacking the plurality of mass adjustment regions.

Claims

1. An optical fiber comprising:

a waveguiding element extending along an axis;

a mechanical region surrounding the waveguiding element, wherein the mechanical region is positioned between the waveguiding element and an outer periphery, and wherein the mechanical region comprises a first material having a first density; and

a plurality of mass adjustment regions positioned within the mechanical region, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions comprise a second material having a second density less than the first density.

2. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the waveguiding element comprises a central core region and a cladding layer surrounding the central core region.

3. The optical fiber of claim 2, wherein the cladding layer comprises the first material, and wherein the central core region comprises a third material.

4. The optical fiber of claim 2, wherein the cladding layer and the mechanical region comprise a unitary body.

5. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the waveguiding element comprises a plurality of core regions and a cladding layer surrounding the plurality of core regions.

6. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions comprises one or more gas-filled regions, air-filled regions, one or more polymer-filled regions, one or more glass-filled regions, one or more evacuated regions, or any combination of these.

7. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions comprises a plurality of rows of mass adjustment elements, wherein the plurality of rows are arranged concentrically around the waveguiding element.

8. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions are arranged in a symmetric configuration around the axis.

9. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions are arranged with axes parallel to the axis.

10. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions occupy between about 30% and about 90% of a volume of the mechanical region.

11. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions reduces a mass of the optical fiber per unit length as compared to a comparable optical fiber comprising a corresponding waveguiding element that is identical to the waveguiding element and a corresponding mechanical region that is identical to the mechanical region except that the corresponding mechanical region does not include mass adjustment regions positioned between the corresponding waveguiding element and a corresponding outer periphery of the comparable optical fiber.

12. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber has an effective cantilever length, and wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions increases a resonant oscillatory frequency of the optical fiber as compared to a comparable optical fiber having the effective cantilever length and comprising a corresponding waveguiding element that is identical to the waveguiding element and a corresponding mechanical region that is identical to the mechanical region except that the corresponding mechanical region does not include mass adjustment regions positioned between the corresponding waveguiding element and a corresponding outer periphery of the comparable optical fiber.

13. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions increases an effective cantilever length of the optical fiber for a given operating frequency as compared to a comparable optical fiber comprising a corresponding waveguiding element that is identical to the waveguiding element and a corresponding mechanical region that is identical to the mechanical region except that the corresponding mechanical region does not include mass adjustment regions positioned between the corresponding waveguiding element and a corresponding outer periphery of the comparable optical fiber.

14. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber has a resonant frequency, and wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions increases an effective cantilever length of the optical fiber as compared to a comparable optical fiber having the resonant frequency and comprising a corresponding waveguiding element that is identical to the waveguiding element and a corresponding mechanical region that is identical to the mechanical region except that the corresponding mechanical region does not include mass adjustment regions positioned between the corresponding waveguiding element and a corresponding outer periphery of the comparable optical fiber.

15. A scanning fiber display comprising:

an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber includes

a waveguiding element extending along an axis;

a mechanical region surrounding the waveguiding element, wherein the mechanical region is positioned between the waveguiding element and an outer periphery, and wherein the mechanical region comprises a first material having a first density; and

a plurality of mass adjustment regions positioned within the mechanical region, wherein the plurality of mass adjustment regions comprise a second material having a second density less than the first density; and

an actuator in mechanical contact with the optical fiber, the actuator for inducing an oscillation of the optical fiber.

16. The scanning fiber display of claim 15, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric transducer, an electromagnetic voice coil, or a thermal actuator.

17. The scanning fiber display of claim 15, wherein the actuator comprises a two-dimensional actuator for controlling motion of an end of the optical fiber in two dimensions.

18. The scanning fiber display of claim 15, further comprising a visible optical source in optical communication with the waveguiding element of the optical fiber.

19. The scanning fiber display of claim 15, further comprising a multi-color switchable optical source in optical communication with the waveguiding element of the optical fiber.

20. An optical fiber comprising:

a waveguiding element extending along an axis;

a mechanical region surrounding the waveguiding element, wherein the mechanical region is positioned between the waveguiding element and an outer periphery, and wherein the mechanical region comprises a first material; and

a plurality of second moment of area adjustment regions positioned within the mechanical region, wherein the plurality of second moment of area adjustment regions comprise a second material for generating a second moment of area of the mechanical region that is different than a comparable optical fiber comprising a corresponding mechanical region that is identical to the mechanical region except that the corresponding mechanical region does not include the plurality of second moment of area adjustment regions positioned between the corresponding waveguiding element and a corresponding outer periphery of the comparable optical fiber.