Optical apparatus
An optical apparatus including a 360-degree star coupler with derivative structure(s) and applications to optical imaging, optical communications and optical spectroscopy.
1. An optical apparatus comprising:
a single, slab waveguide that is substantially circular in-shape; and
a plurality of waveguides optically coupled to the single, circular slab waveguide such that each quadrant of the single, circular slab waveguide has at least a portion of one of the waveguides physically connected thereto;
wherein all of the waveguides are optically coupled to one another and all of the waveguides are coplanar and all of the waveguides have a focal point that is substantially at the center of the slab waveguide.
2. The optical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the number of waveguides optically coupled to the circular slab waveguide is n, wherein n≧4.
3. The optical apparatus of claim 2 wherein the circular slab waveguide includes an aperture positioned substantially at the center of the circle.
4. The optical apparatus of claim 3 wherein each waveguides is spaced substantially equidistant from its adjacent waveguides around the perimeter of the circular slab waveguide.
5. The optical apparatus of claim 4 wherein n is an even number≧32.
6. An optical apparatus comprising:
a 360 degree star coupler comprising a single, slab waveguide that is substantially circular in-shape, said single circular slab waveguide having a plurality of optical waveguides optically coupled thereto such that each quadrant of the single, circular slab waveguide has at least a portion of one of the waveguides physically connected thereto, wherein all of the waveguides are optically coupled to one another and all of the waveguides are coplanar and and all of the waveguides have a focal point that is substantially at the center of the slab waveguide; and
a star coupler optically connected to the 360 degree star coupler.
7. The optical apparatus of claim 6 wherein said 360 degree star coupler further comprises an aperture formed at substantially the center of the 360 degree star coupler.
8. The optical apparatus of claim 7 wherein said star coupler comprises at least one input/output port at one side and a plurality of input/output ports at an opposite side.
9. The optical apparatus of claim 8 wherein the star coupler and the 360 degree star coupler are connected by a plurality of optical waveguides.
10. The optical apparatus of claim 9 wherein the star coupler, the plurality of waveguides and the 360 degree star coupler are integrated onto a single planar chip.
11. A method of operating an optical apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
a 360 star coupler comprising a single, slab waveguide that is substantially circular in-shape, said single circular slab waveguide having a plurality of optical waveguides optically coupled thereto, such that each quadrant of the single, circular slab waveguide has at least a portion of one of the waveguides physically connected thereto,
wherein all of the waveguides are optically coupled to one another and all of the waveguides are coplanar and all of the waveguides have a focal point that is substantially at the center of the slab waveguide;
said method comprising the steps of:
introducing light into the 360 star coupler via one or more of the waveguides; and
collecting light exiting the 360 star coupler.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said 360 star coupler further comprises:
an aperture positioned at substantially the center of the 360 star coupler;
said method further comprising the steps of:
positioning a sample within the aperture such that at least a portion of the introduced light strikes the sample and subsequently exits the 360 star coupler.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said sample is part of a sample which flows through the aperture.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein said apparatus further comprises:
a sample tube positioned such that at least a portion of the tube is within the aperture;
said method further comprising the steps of:
flowing the sample through the sample tube.
15. An optical apparatus comprising:
a 360 degree star coupler comprising a single slab waveguide that is substantially circular in-shape, said slab waveguide having n input/output ports physically connected thereto such that each quadrant of the single, circular slab waveguide has at least one of the ports, wherein all of the n input/output ports are optically coupled one another and all of the ports are coplanar with the slab waveguide and all of the ports have a focal point that is substantially at the center of the slab waveguide;
an input 1×n optical switch having an input port and n output ports;
an output 1×n optical switch having n input ports and 1 output port;
n 1×2 couplers optically connecting the n output ports of the input optical switch and the n input ports of the output optical switch to the n input/output ports of the 360 degree star coupler.
16. The optical apparatus of claim 15 wherein said 360 degree star coupler further comprises an aperture formed at substantially the center of the 360 degree star coupler.
17. The optical apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:
a 1×2 coupler having an input and 2 outputs wherein one of the outputs is optically connected to the input of the input optical switch;
a 90 degree hybrid having at least 2 inputs and one or more outputs and one of the inputs is optically connected to the output of the output optical switch and a second input is optically connected to the second output of the 1×2 coupler connected to the input of the input optical switch.
18. The optical apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a sample tube for positioning a sample within the aperture.
19. The optical apparatus of claim 1 wherein a light source is placed above or below the slab waveguides and is focused onto the slab waveguides.
20. An optical apparatus comprising:
an optical waveguide that is substantially spherical in-shape; and
a plurality of waveguides optically coupled to the spherical waveguide such that each steradian of the spherical waveguide has at least a portion of one of the waveguides physically connected thereto;
wherein all of the waveguides are optically coupled to one another through the effect of the spherical waveguide and all of the waveguides have a focal point that is substantially at the center of the spherical waveguide.
21. The optical apparatus of claim 20 wherein the spherical waveguide includes an aperture positioned substantially along a central axis of the spherical waveguide such that a sample may be positioned at substantially the center of the spherical waveguide.
22. The optical apparatus of claim 20 wherein each of the plurality of waveguides is spaced substantially equidistant from its adjacent waveguides around the outer spherical surface of the spherical waveguide.
23. An optical apparatus comprising:
a single, planar slab waveguide substantially circular in shape; and
a plurality of waveguides physically connected to the slab waveguide such that each quadrant of the slab waveguide has at least a portion of one of the waveguides physically connected thereto;
wherein all of the waveguides connected to the slab waveguide have a focal point which is substantially at the center of the slab waveguide and all of the waveguides connected to the slab waveguide are optically coupled to one another through the effect of the slab waveguide.
24. The optical apparatus of claim 23 wherein all of the waveguides connected to the single, slab waveguide are equally spaced in angle from adjacent waveguides.
25. The optical apparatus of claim 23 wherein all of the waveguides connected to the single, slab waveguide are positioned such that lines overlaying said waveguides intersect at the center of the slab waveguide.
26. The optical apparatus of claim 23 wherein all of the waveguides connected to the single, slab waveguide are positioned such that lines overlaying said waveguides intersect at the center of the slab waveguide.
27. The optical apparatus of claim 23 wherein the single, circular slab waveguide includes an aperture positioned substantially at the center of the circle.
28. An optical apparatus comprising:
an optical waveguide that is substantially spherical in-shape; and
a plurality of waveguides physically connected and optically coupled to the spherical waveguide such that each steradian of the spherical waveguide has at least a portion of one of the waveguides physically connected thereto;
wherein all of the waveguides connected to the spherical waveguide have a focal point which is substantially at the center of the spherical waveguide and are optically coupled to one another through the effect of the spherical waveguide.
29. The optical apparatus of claim 28 wherein the spherical waveguide includes an aperture positioned substantially along a central axis of the spherical waveguide such that a sample may be positioned at substantially the center of the spherical waveguide.
30. The optical apparatus of claim 28 wherein all of the waveguides connected to the spherical waveguide are equally spaced in angle from adjacent waveguides.
31. The optical apparatus of claim 28 wherein all of the waveguides connected to the spherical waveguide are positioned such that lines coaxial with said waveguides intersect at the center of the spherical waveguide.