TIR-assisted laser welding of optical components
In some implementations, the method may include disposing an infrared (IR) absorbing material at one or both of a first surface of a first transparent body composed of a polymer or a second surface of a second transparent body composed of the polymer. In addition, the method may include positioning the first transparent body adjacent to the second transparent body so that the first surface abuts the second surface. The method may include bonding the first transparent body to the second transparent body through reflow of the polymer at an interface between the first surface and the second surface by emitting light, via a first light source, into the first transparent body and which is converted to heat energy by the IR absorbing material.
1 . A method comprising:
disposing an infrared (IR) absorbing material at one or both of a first surface of a first transparent body composed of a polymer or a second surface of a second transparent body composed of the polymer;
positioning the first transparent body adjacent to the second transparent body so that the first surface abuts the second surface;
bonding the first transparent body to the second transparent body through reflow of the polymer at an interface between the first surface and the second surface by emitting light, via a first light source, into the first transparent body and which is converted to heat energy by the IR absorbing material; and
coupling the light of the first light source into at least a portion of one of the bonded first transparent body or the second transparent body at a total internal reflection (TIR) angle.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the light is IR light provided by an IR light source mounted proximate to the first transparent body.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the IR absorbing material having one or more micropores having a size of about 3 micrometers (μm) to about 50 μm.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
stabilizing, by one or more openings of the IR absorbing material, the first transparent body and the second transparent body when the one or more openings forms a barrier from the heat energy generated from the light of the first light source.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
disposing a thin film layer over the IR absorbing material.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the thin film layer is a multilayer dielectric coating.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
disposing at least a portion of the first transparent body and at least a portion of the second transparent body between a coupling prism.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
emitting, by a first light source, light through a first mask and directing the light to illuminate the coupling prism at a first azimuthal angle.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
emitting, by a second light source, light through a second mask and directing the light to illuminate the coupling prism at a second azimuthal angle.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
overlapping the light from the first light source and the light from the second light source and emitting the heat energy.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
distributing the light across the interface via total internal reflection (TIR) within the first transparent body when the first surface abuts the second surface forming an interface.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
diffracting at least a portion of the emitted light into a total internal reflection (TIR) angle when the emitted light is directed to a diffraction grating at a second surface of the first transparent body.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
changing a polar angle of the light emitted by the first light source when spacing and orientation of one or more grating lines of the diffraction grating is increased or decreased.
14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
changing an angle at which the diffraction grating is positioned to change an azimuthal angle for control over a direction in which the diffracted light is dispersed.
15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
aligning a focal plane of the light with a tilted plane of a coupling prism, using a Scheimpflug adapter, when the emitted light is projected at the coupling prism at a polar angle.
16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
initiating optical contact using one or more sacrificial protrusions connected to a transparent body devoid of IR absorbing material.
17 . A waveguide fabricated using the method of claim 1 .