Optical power distribution devices

An input device for an electronic device comprising:

• an optical source;
• at least one light detector to detect light intensity at a plurality of light detecting elements;
• an input area defining a plane;
• and
• at least one optical power splitter for distributing light substantially equally from the optical source to a plurality of output waveguides, each splitter comprising a multimode input waveguide coupled to the optical source, a slab region, and an array of output waveguides, wherein the output waveguides are connected to the slab region along an arc of a circle, and point towards the junction of the input waveguide and the slab region.

An input device for an electronic device comprising:

• an optical source;
• at least one light detector to detect light intensity at a plurality of light detecting elements;
• an input area defining a plane;
• and
• at least one optical power splitter for distributing light substantially equally from the optical source to a plurality of output waveguides, each splitter comprising a slab region and an array of output waveguides, wherein the optical source launches power directly into the slab region, and wherein the output waveguides are connected to the slab region along an arc of a circle, and point towards the position where the power enters the slab waveguide.

An input device for an electronic device comprising:

• an optical source;
• at least one light detector to detect light intensity at a plurality of light detecting elements;
• an input area defining a plane;
• and
• at least one optical power splitter for distributing light from the optical source to a plurality of output waveguides, each splitter having a multimode input waveguide, a slab region and an array of output waveguides wherein optical power is coupled from the optical source into the multimode input waveguide, and the distribution of output waveguide widths is chosen such that, when the optical field diffracting in the slab region impinges on the output waveguides, the integral of the optical field over the waveguide cross-sectional area is substantially equal for each output waveguide.

An input device for an electronic device comprising:

• an optical source;
• at least one light detector to detect light intensity at a plurality of light detecting elements;
• an input area defining a plane;
• and
• at least one optical power splitter for distributing light from the optical source to a plurality of output waveguides, each splitter having a slab region and an array of output waveguides wherein the optical source launches power directly into the slab region, the intensity distribution in the slab region is non-Gaussian, and the distribution of output waveguide widths is chosen such that, when the intensity distribution in the slab region impinges on the output waveguides, the integral of the optical field over the waveguide cross-sectional area is substantially equal for each output waveguide.

An input device for an electronic device comprising:

• an optical source;
• at least one light detector to detect light intensity at a plurality of light detecting elements;
• an input area defining a plane;
• and
• at least one optical power splitter for distributing light from the optical source to a plurality of optical waveguides, each splitter comprising a slab region and an array of output waveguides, wherein the optical source launches a beam directly into the slab region, and wherein the beam diffracts with an intensity distribution that is substantially uniform in the plane of the slab region such that, when the intensity distribution in the slab region impinges on the output waveguides, the integral of the optical field over the waveguide cross-sectional area is substantially equal for each output waveguide.