Waveguide apparatus for illumination systems
AssigneeL.E.S.S. Ltd
InventorYann Tissot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A waveguide (100, 101) such as optical fiber is to receive a primary light in a longitudinal (propagation) direction. The fiber has formed therein scattering structures (105, 106, 107) that re-direct the propagating primary light out of the waveguide, for instance in a transverse direction. A photo-luminescent layer (103) absorbs the re-directed primary light to thereby emit secondary wavelength converted light having a different wavelength than and broader bandwidth than the primary light, resulting in white illumination light, being the secondary light combined with any unabsorbed primary light. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
Claims27
A waveguide apparatus for an illumination system, comprising:
- a waveguide in which a core medium is in contact with a cladding medium and in which primary light is to propagate along its longitudinal axis, the waveguide having formed therein a first zone, being a laser-induced modification of at least the core medium that runs along the longitudinal axis and that is to scatter the propagating primary light out of the waveguide in a directional radiation pattern having a predetermined radial spread of less than 360 degrees at a desired radial position;
- and
- a photo-luminescent medium that runs along the longitudinal axis of the waveguide, and is positioned to absorb the scattered primary light to thereby emit a secondary wavelength converted light.
A method for manufacturing a waveguide apparatus for an illumination system, comprising:
- forming a region of light scattering structures within a waveguide in which a core medium is in contact with a cladding medium and in which primary light is to propagate along its longitudinal axis, by laser processing at least the core medium along the longitudinal axis to create therein the region of scattering structures wherein the region of scattering structures is adapted to re-direct a primary light, that is propagating in the waveguide along the longitudinal axis, out of an outer side surface of the waveguide in a directional radiation pattern;
- and
- forming a medium of photo-luminescent material that is positioned to absorb the re-directed primary light and thereby emit secondary light.
A light waveguide apparatus comprising:
- waveguide means in which a core medium is in contact with a cladding medium for guiding primary light that propagates in a longitudinal direction, and having formed therein means for re-directing the primary light out of the waveguide means, the re-directing means being a laser-induced modification of at least the core medium that runs along the longitudinal direction and that is to scatter the primary light out of the waveguide means in a directional radiation pattern having at lease one lobe;
- and
- photo-luminescent means for absorbing the re-directed primary light to thereby emit secondary wavelength converted light having a different wavelength than said primary light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.