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Light guide bundle changes optical cross-section without loss of light

Posted on: Saturday, 22 November 2003, 06:00 CST

AGFA

This technology from AGFA uses a light bundle of unclad optical fibers to change the cross section of incoming light to a different cross section (i.e. from a line to a circle), for better adaptation to devices such as a detector or photomultiplier. This method employs fused and polished, unclad optical fibers at the entrance window in order to detect light without loss, even when the optical fibers are bent at steep angles.

The many light channels connecting the input and output window are made of light guiding core material enclosed in a cladding of gas (or air) that has a refractive index lower than the index of the core material. In this way, even very diffuse light coming in at an angle versus the axis of the optical fibers is detected without any loss of light. Conventional cladded optical fibers, on the other hand, do not detect light coming in outside a 64[degrees] cone around the axis of the fiber.

In the illustration, one application is shown where diffuse light, falling through a line shaped entrance window is converted to a circular (or hexagonal) cross-sectioned window of a photomultiplier. The optical fibers are fused and polished at the entrance window to ensure quantitative detection.

Get the complete report on this technology at:

www.techbriefs. com/techsearch/tow/agfa-lgbundle.html

Email: nasatech@yet2.com

Phone: 617-557-3800

Copyright Associated Business Publications Nov 2003

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