Dielectric Waveguide for Infrared Wavelengths

The microphotolithographic art, together with thin films and heteroepitaxial crystals of the semiconductor integrated circuit technology, has been used to define a variety of dielectric waveguide structures other than fibres which are useful in the infrared region. The transverse dimensions of these dielectric infrared waveguides are comparable to the wavelength so that control of the polarization, kind and order bounded modes may be exercised. Therefore, these structures are described as a "quasi-microwave" approach for optical waveguide.