Deborah D Jackson

US Patent:

47339276, Mar 29, 1988

Filed:

Nov 14, 1984

Appl. No.:

6/671523

Inventors:

Deborah J. Jackson - Port Hueneme CA
Marion D. Clark - Los Angeles CA

Assignee:

Hughes Aircraft Company - Los Angeles CA

International Classification:

G02B 610
G02B 612

US Classification:

350 9612

Abstract:

An optical waveguide is established near the surface of a body of bulk, optically transparent, crystalline material (12) by depositing and bonding a thin layer of material (16) that undergoes an irreversible structural transition under annealing such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide on a surface of the bulk crystalline material (12). The assembly is then heated to change the state of the thin layer and produce stress on the order of 10. sup. 10 to 10. sup. 11 dynes per square centimeter or more. Open guideways or breaks (22, 24) are then formed in the thin layer (16), thereby establishing optical stress waveguides (32, 34) in the bulk crystalline material (12), just under the open guideways. The bulk crystalline material is then employed for modulation, detection or in other interactive processes with respect to optical signals applied to the waveguide.