Varying refractive index optical medium using at least two materials with thicknesses less than a wavelength
First Claim
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1. A light transforming device having a graded index of refraction, comprising:
- a body made substantially of a first amorphous material,the body having embedded therein a plurality of discrete structures comprising a second amorphous material, each of the discrete structures having a size in at least one dimension substantially smaller than an effective wavelength of light in the second material,wherein the first material has a first index of refraction and the second material has a second index of refraction different from the first index of refraction by at least Δ
n=0.5, andwherein the size of the discrete structures in the at least one dimension is different in a first local region of the body than in a second local region of the body, thereby providing a graded index of refraction.
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Abstract
An optical medium has a graded effective refractive index with a high maximum refractive index change. The medium is formed using alternating layers of two or more materials having significantly different refractive indices. The thickness of the layers of at least one of the materials is substantially less than the effective light wavelength of interest. The effective index of refraction in a local region within the medium depends on the ratio of the average volumes of the two materials in the local region. A graded index of refraction is provided by varying the relative thicknesses of the two materials.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A light transforming device having a graded index of refraction, comprising:
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a body made substantially of a first amorphous material, the body having embedded therein a plurality of discrete structures comprising a second amorphous material, each of the discrete structures having a size in at least one dimension substantially smaller than an effective wavelength of light in the second material, wherein the first material has a first index of refraction and the second material has a second index of refraction different from the first index of refraction by at least Δ
n=0.5, andwherein the size of the discrete structures in the at least one dimension is different in a first local region of the body than in a second local region of the body, thereby providing a graded index of refraction. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A light transforming device having a graded index of refraction, comprising:
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a plurality of alternating layers of a first amorphous material having a thickness and a second amorphous material, each layer of the second material having a thickness substantially less than an effective wavelength of light in the second material, the first material having a first index of refraction, the second material having a second index of refraction different from the first index of refraction by at least Δ
n=0.5,the plurality of alternating layers forming a light transforming medium with an effective index of refraction in a local region that depends on a local ratio of a volume of the layers of the first material to a volume of the layers of the second material, wherein a graded effective index of refraction along a direction transverse to the layers is formed by varying the thicknesses of the layers. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A light transforming device having a graded index of refraction, comprising:
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a plurality of alternating layers of a first amorphous material having a thickness and a second amorphous material, each layer of the second material having a thickness substantially less than an effective wavelength of light in the second material, the first material having a first index of refraction, the second material having a second index of refraction different from the first index of refraction, the plurality of alternating layers forming a light transforming medium with an effective index of refraction in a local region that depends on a local ratio of a volume of the layers of the first amorphous material to a volume of the layers of the second amorphous material, wherein a graded effective index of refraction along a direction transverse to the layers is formed by varying the thicknesses of the layers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification