Waveplate and optical circuit formed from mesogen-containing polymer

US6870978B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventors

• Ken G. Purchase · Morrisville, US
• Martin McKenzie · Los Altos Hills, US
• Lili Huang · San Jose, US
• Stephen Z. D. Cheng · Akron, US
• Frank W. Harris · Akron, US
• Jason J. Ge · Maplewood, US
• Dong Zhang · Uniontown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 11, 2002
• Grant date: Mar 22, 2005
• Expiry date: Dec 8, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B2006/12116
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Waveplates formed of mesogen-containing polymers and planar lightwave circuits containing such waveplates. Polymers have sidechains containing mesogens such as biphenyl-containing groups. Polymers may have a glass transition temperature between 100 C and 300 C, and polymers may be stretched in excess of 150% to increase birefringence of polymer and provide thin films. Waveplates formed of stretched polymer films may have high biaxial birefringence.