Integrated optics
AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories
InventorsLouis D. Lanzerotti, Samuel L. McCall, Bernard Yurke
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Abstract
Lasing threshold for a whispering mode laser is reduced by appropriate placement of a reflector. A reflector parallel to, and within a wavelength distance of, the disk decreases radiation loss due to imperfect internal reflection. Enhancement is calculable on the basis of destructive interference between reflected and direct radiation.
Claims23
Apparatus including at least one element including a path for an electromagnetic wave within a body of high refractive index for such energy relative to refractive index of surrounding ambient, at least some portion of the path being curved to a curvature defined by a local radius as bounded at an interface between such body and ambient, the interface defining a convex surface of the high index material, retention of energy within such path being at least partially due to small angle incidence of the energy at the interface, relative refractive indices and curvature at incidence being such as to result in loss by direct radiation from the body, po1 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT
- an interfering mirror is provided as spaced from the body and of such extent that a portion of the radiation is reflected, thereby increasing the path length for reflected radiation, so that it destructively interferes with direct radiation and thereby decreases radiation loss.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.