Waveguide (optics)
structure that guides electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum
An optical waveguide is a physical structure that guides electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum. Common types of optical waveguides include optical fiber waveguides, transparent dielectric waveguides made of plastic and glass, liquid light guides, and liquid waveguides.
Optical waveguides are used as components in integrated optical circuits or as the transmission medium in local and long-haul optical communication systems. They can also be used in optical head-mounted displays in augmented reality.
Optical waveguides can be classified according to their geometry (planar, strip, or fiber waveguides), mode structure (single-mode, multi-mode), refractive index distribution (step or gradient index), and material (glass, polymer, semiconductor).
Total internal reflection
The basic principles behind optical waveguides can be described using the concepts of geometrical or ray optics, as illustrated in the diagram.
Light passing into a medium with higher refractive index bends toward the normal by the process of refraction (Figure a.). Take, for example, light passing from air into glass. Similarly, light traveling in the opposite direction (from glass into air) takes the same path, bending away from the normal. This is a consequence of time-reversal symmetry.
The public source identifies “Waveguide (optics)” as structure that guides electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Waveguide, optics and structure.
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