Refractive boundary elements, devices, and materials

Abstract

An optical device includes an interface between two or more media. The refractive indices, orientations of media, and alignment relative to a propagating wave define a refractive boundary at which reflections may be reduced or eliminated, and at which, for certain incident angles, rays may be refracted on the same side of the normal as the incident ray.

1 - 77 . (canceled) 
   
   
       78 . An RF interactive apparatus, comprising:
 a first layer of a first man-made material, the first layer having an anisotropic dielectric constant in a first region adjacent a surface, the first layer including an arrangement of manmade structures dispersed in a dielectric carrying medium; and   a second layer of a second man-made material adjoining the first layer at the surface, the second layer having a dielectric constant that is a function of the anisotropic dielectric constant in the first region adjacent the surface, the second layer having a dielectric constant configured to receive energy from the first layer substantially reflection free at the surface and to produce refraction adjacent the surface.   
   
   
       79 . The RF interactive apparatus of  claim 83  wherein the manmade structures include metallic substructures. 
   
   
       80 . The RF interactive apparatus of  claim 83  wherein the anisotropic dielectric constant in the first region is a frequency dependent dielectric constant. 
   
   
       81 . The RF interactive apparatus of claim  85  wherein the dielectric constant that is a function of the anisotropic dielectric constant in the first region has a dielectric constant that is frequency dependent in the first region. 
   
   
       82 . The RF interactive apparatus of claim  86  wherein the dielectric constant of the second layer in the first region is arranged to define substantially reflection free refraction at the surface at a selected operating frequency. 
   
   
       83 . An RF interactive apparatus, comprising:
 a first layer of a first man-made material, the first layer having an anisotropic dielectric constant in a first region adjacent a surface, the first layer including an arrangement of manmade structures dispersed in a dielectric carrying medium; and   a second layer of a second man-made material adjoining the first layer at the surface, the second layer having a dielectric constant that is a function of the anisotropic dielectric constant in the first region adjacent the surface, the second layer configured by having a selected effective dielectric constant to receive and substantially reflection-free refract energy incident on it from the first layer at any angle within a substantial range of incidence angles.