Abstract: A device and method for defining a three-dimensional structure of an object having a submicrometer size splits a coherent electromagnetic radiation beam into two partial beams including a first partial beam and a second partial beam. The first partial beam is focused on the object. The first partial beam is reflected from or dispersed from the object to yield a first radiation directed toward a locus. The second partial beam is directed toward the locus. The first radiation and the second radiation form an electromagnetic combination in a region of the locus. Second phase values are established from the initial phase values via multiplication of the initial phase values by one or more predetermined values to provide information for generating a magnified image representative of the object.

Abstract: Acicula of rare earth pentaphosphates, of a diameter and length ideal for waveguiding laser-type applications, are grown by controlling the rate of metaphosphoric acid conversion by introducing water vapor into an inert gas atmosphere continuously flowed through the reaction zone. The required amount of water vapor in the reaction zone has to be within the range between approximately 14 grams per cubic meter and 290 grams per cubic meter of the flowing atmosphere. This control is implemented by bubbling the inert gas atmosphere through a water bath at temperatures between 15.degree. and 80.degree. C. It is believed that the control of the water vapor eliminates problems of supersaturation in the forming of pentaphosphoric crystals in the growth solution and thereby promotes their natural tendency to form purely chainlike polymer structures.

Abstract: A photopolymerization process is adapted for the production of various optical devices by means of a modified process which serves to increase the index change obtainable in a variable pattern of index of refraction. The process comprises the steps of flowing into place in a supporting structure a mixture of two components of differing reactivity and polarizability, partially polymerizing the mixture, writing a pattern of varying index of refraction in the partially polymerized mixture by further polymerizing it by suitable optical radiation in a corresponding pattern, and fixing the mixture against subsequent changes in polymerization. Typical components used in the process include a mixture of the monomers cyclohexyl methacrylate and N-vinylcarbazole together with benzoin methyl ether as a photosensitive initiator of polymerization, which proceeds by free radical reactions. In the limit of our technique, one of the components can have zero reactivity.

Abstract: A technique for the fabrication of integrated optical circuits is described wherein a transparent polymer film, which is doped with a polynuclear aromatic thiol having higher index of refraction than the polymer, is deposited from a liquid solution on a smooth substrate. Upon selective exposure to radiation there is a substantial reduction or elimination of the mobility and volatility of the dopant in the polymer matrix, a phenomenon known as "photolocking". The described class of dopant permits the attainment of higher resolution than previously reported, as well as the preparation of optical direction couplers having higher coupling strengths than those of the prior art.

Abstract: New lasers employ a halide crystal including alkali metals and rare earths with a very high concentration of the active ions that are arranged to have largest possible separation between themselves. Such laser crystals provide very high energy storage that is finally released in the form of optical radiation. The high energy storage is attributable to a relatively low gain per unit length. The halide crystal is of the perovskite type and typically includes two alkali metals, one of which, for example, sodium, has a much smaller ionic charge than the rare earths and, therefore, will be ordered on the octahedral sites of the perovskite crystal with respect to the rare earth atoms. The stoichiometry of the materials facilitates the high concentration of the rare earth active ions; and the ordering or strict sequencing of alkali and rare earth ions facilitates the large separation of the rare earth active ions which is necessary to minimize non-radiative decay via rare earth pair interaction.