Continuous resonance trap refractor based assembly

Abstract

A tapered core waveguide which may be configured as a spectral component splitter, a spectral component combiner, and various combinations thereof including a reflective mode of operation. The tapered core waveguide has an aperture and cladding, and is dimensioned such that radiant energy admitted into the core via the aperture and having at least two spectral components would be emitted via the cladding at a location dependent on its frequency and/or its polarization, and that a plurality of spectral components injected to the core via the cladding will be mixed and emitted via the aperture.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . radiant energy conversion assembly comprising:
 a stratum having a top and bottom surfaces and comprising a plurality of superposed waveguides, at least one of the plurality of waveguides having at least a first transducer disposed therein;   a tapered core waveguide disposed at least partially within the stratum, the tapered core waveguide comprising a hollow core having a first end and a second end, the first end defining an aperture, the core having a depth direction extending between the first end and the second end, and substantially perpendicular to the stratum top surface, wherein the depth magnitude increases with distance from the first end towards the second end, and from the top surface towards the bottom surface of the stratum;   the core being tapered and having a width magnitude at each depth such that the width magnitude at the aperture is higher than the width magnitude at the second end;   a cladding disposed at least partially around the core;   wherein the first end of the core is dimensioned to allow passage of at least a first and a second spectral components having frequencies associated therewith, and wherein the core is dimensioned such that first spectral component would reach a cladding penetration state at a first location and the second spectral component will reach a cladding penetration state at a second location, different from the first location.   
     
     
         2 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the tapered core is asymmetric, or having symmetrically multifaceted cross-section in at least one width plane substantially orthogonal to the depth direction; and,   the first location and the second location form an angle therebetween when projected to at the width plane.   
     
     
         3 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transducer is a reflective transducer disposed in the at least one superposed waveguide to controllably reflect at least a portion of the first spectral components via the cladding into the core. 
     
     
         4 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least a first and a second radiant energy sources disposed within at least one of the plurality of superposed waveguides, to couple energy emitted from the energy sources to the core via the cladding. 
     
     
         5 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tapered core is asymmetric, or having symmetrically multifaceted cross-section, at a width plane substantially orthogonal to the depth direction. 
     
     
         6 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the superposed waveguides having an electrically conductive cladding. 
     
     
         7 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the aperture is constructed as an elongated wedge. 
     
     
         8 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second spectral components each having a different frequency associated therewith, at least two of the superposed waveguides are disposed to receive the first and second spectral components respectively, and each of the at least two superposed waveguides having a transducer disposed therein, the respective transducer optimized for the frequency of the spectral component received by the respective waveguide. 
     
     
         9 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second spectral components each having a different frequency associated therewith, at least two of the superposed waveguides are disposed to receive the first and second spectral components respectively, and each of the at least two superposed waveguides having a thickness optimized for the frequency of the spectral component received by the respective waveguide. 
     
     
         10 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the thickness of at least one of of the least two superposed waveguides is between one wavelength and a half wavelength of the respective spectral component. 
     
     
         11 . an assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cladding of the tapered waveguide comprises metal having a thickness in the order of, or lower than, the skin penetration depth for at least one spectral component admitted via the aperture, at or about the cladding penetration depth of the spectral component. 
     
     
         12 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tapered core waveguides disposed at least partially in the stratum. 
     
     
         13 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stratum top surface comprises metal. 
     
     
         14 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first the frequency associated with the first spectral component is lower than the frequency associated by the second spectral component, the first location is at a lower depth than the second location, and wherein at least two of the plurality of superposed waveguides are disposed to receive the first and second spectral components respectively.