Waveguide
AssigneeMax-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
InventorsMaurus Tacke, Reinhard Ulrich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A waveguide for submillimeter and infrared wavelength range electromagnetic radiation comprises a metal grating with a grating constant criterion: ##EQU1## BEING GREATER THAN (2/.lambda.).sup.2, WHERE .lambda. IS WAVELENGTH OF AN ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE PROPAGATING FREELY IN THE SURROUNDING MEDIUM AND G.sub.X, G.sub.Y ARE GRATING CONSTANTS IN ORTHOGONAL DIRECTIONS. The constants g.sub.x, g.sub.y may be equal to each other or different.
Claims13
Waveguide for radiated electromagnetic waves in the submillimeter and infrared range, comprising means defining a waveguide surface for propagating a TM wave having an at least singly periodic two-dimensional sheet form grating made of electrically conducting material with at least a grating constant ##EQU5## where .lambda. is the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave of the radiated frequency propagating freely in the surrounding medium to be transmitted along the surface of the waveguide and g.sub.x and g.sub.y are finite grating constants of the grating defining finite periodicity in each of nonparallel x and y directions respectively,
- and means for directing a wave onto said waveguide surface such that a TM wave having said wavelength .lambda. is propagated along the surface of the waveguide.
Assembly according to claim 7 and further comprising means defining a wave transmitter or receiver configured with respect to said prism as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the prism face that faces toward the waveguide includes with the grating an acute angle whose vertex lies on the side of the wave transmitter or wave receiver.
Device for sending, carrying and receiving laser light having free space wavelengths (.lambda.) of 0.001 -1 millimeter and comprising,
- means defining an at least singly periodic grating made of electrically conducting material for transmitting along the grating surface a TM wave,
- the grating having periodicity constants g.sub.x, g.sub.y in nonparallel x and y directions in relation to the wavelength in accordance with the formula ##EQU6## where .lambda. is the wavelength of a wave of the laser radiated frequency propagating freely in the surrounding medium to be transmitted along the surface of the waveguide and g.sub.x and g.sub.y are grating constants of the grating defining finite periodicity in each of nonparallel x and y directions respectively,
- means for directing laser energy into the grating such that a TM wave of said laser energy having said wavelength .lambda. is propagating along the surface of the waveguide and comprising a first prism which has a first face opposing the grating and a second face, at an acute angle to the first face, opposing a source of laser light,
- the vertex of the acute angle formed between said faces being disposed toward the source of laser light,
- means defining a second prism with a first face opposing the grating and a second face at an acute angle to the first face,
- means defining a laser wave receiver,
- said second face of said second prism opposing said laser receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.