Abstract: A planar ion-exchanged glass sheet for out-of-plane light beam coupling includes a first surface, a ion-exchanged first glass region adjacent and parallel to the first surface, a core glass region adjacent and parallel to the first glass region, a ion-exchanged second glass region adjacent and parallel to the core glass region, and a second surface adjacent and parallel to the second glass region. One edge of the glass sheet has an angled end face that is inclined to the plane extends across a thickness of at least one of the glass regions. Methods of making the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, coupling an out-of-plane light beam into a plane using the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, and scattering the coupled light to illuminate at least select regions of an exposed surface of the glass sheet are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating dimensional silica-based substrates or structures comprising a porous silicon layers are contemplated. According to one embodiment, oxygen is extracted from the atomic elemental composition of a silica glass substrate by reacting a metallic gas with the substrate in a heated inert atmosphere to form a metal-oxygen complex along a surface of the substrate. The metal-oxygen complex is removed from the surface of the silica glass substrate to yield a crystalline porous silicon surface portion and one or more additional layers are formed over the crystalline porous silicon surface portion of the silica glass substrate to yield a dimensional silica-based substrate or structure comprising the porous silicon layer. Embodiments are also contemplated where the substrate is glass-based, but is not necessarily a silica-based glass substrate. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A planar ion-exchanged glass sheet for out-of-plane light beam coupling includes a first surface, a ion-exchanged first glass region adjacent and parallel to the first surface, a core glass region adjacent and parallel to the first glass region, a ion-exchanged second glass region adjacent and parallel to the core glass region, and a second surface adjacent and parallel to the second glass region. One edge of the glass sheet has an angled end face that is inclined to the plane extends across a thickness of at least one of the glass regions. Methods of making the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, coupling an out-of-plane light beam into a plane using the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, and scattering the coupled light to illuminate at least select regions of an exposed surface of the glass sheet are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating dimensional silica-based substrates or structures comprising a porous silicon layers are contemplated. According to one embodiment, oxygen is extracted from the atomic elemental composition of a silica glass substrate by reacting a metallic gas with the substrate in a heated inert atmosphere to form a metal-oxygen complex along a surface of the substrate. The metal-oxygen complex is removed from the surface of the silica glass substrate to yield a crystalline porous silicon surface portion and one or more additional layers are formed over the crystalline porous silicon surface portion of the silica glass substrate to yield a dimensional silica-based substrate or structure comprising the porous silicon layer. Embodiments are also contemplated where the substrate is glass-based, but is not necessarily a silica-based glass substrate. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: An apparatus for compensating for chromatic dispersion over a wavelength band includes a dispersion compensating optical fiber that is coupled to an optical grating, which compensates for residual dispersion in the optical signal.

Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a chromatic dispersion control apparatus includes an optical waveguide, and a device which dynamically alters an index of refraction of the optical waveguide to adjust the chromatic dispersion in an optical signal traversing the optical waveguide.

Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical apparatus compensates for chromatic dispersion and/or dispersion in an optical signal includes a plurality of serially coupled optical waveguides each of which introduces chromatic dispersion and/or dispersion slope to the optical signal that traverses the optical waveguides.