Light guides employing gaseous lenses

• Main Authors: BERREMAN DWIGHT W, MILLER STEWART E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.11.1968
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE; WAVEGUIDES

1,103,588. Light-guides. WESTERN ELECTRIC CO. Inc. June 30, 1965 [June 30, 1964; July 28, 1964; Oct. 7, 1964; Nov.23, 1964], No.27717/65. Addition to 1,103,610. Heading G2J. Gas flowing along a conduit 10, through which passes a laser beam 40, is provided at intervals with a temperature gradient transverse to its flow to provide for focusing or deviation of the beam. As shown a series of tubes 12 are provided alternate ones of which are heated as by coils 14 so that the outer layers of gas have a lower refractive index than the central layers and a positive lens results. The theory of gas focusing is described in considerable detail in the Specification and the advantages of alternate positive and negative lenses is discussed, this arrangement being realized in Fig. 2 by having heated tubes 12 alternating with cooled tubes 6 which act as negative lenses. The tubes may be heated by coating portions with a catalyst and feeding thereto combustible gas which either passes into the conduit or remains around the outside thereof. In a further form, Fig. 34, a refrigerant fluid under pressure is fed by compressor 416 to the outer surface of a conduit portion 420 formed of compacted furnace clay so that on permeating therethrough the refrigerant, if liquid, vaporizes, and in any case drops substantially in temperature so that a central core of cold gas is provided flowing along the conduit, the outer layers being heated by contact with the warmer surfaces of the conduits. In a modification Fig. 35 (not shown) the porous members are in the form of annular washers (462).