METHOD OF DENSIFICATION OF LUMINOUS FLUXES IN WAVEGUIDES Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: information displays. SUBSTANCE: method is used in information displaying systems and converters. It involves process of integration of luminous fluxes propagating in planar waveguides with the aid of total internal reflection at incidence angle of 45 deg. In agreement with method luminous fluxes from first and second planar waveguides are brought via corresponding first and second contact surfaces into third planar waveguide. Luminous flux from third planar waveguide with refractive index n₂ is injected into fourth planar waveguide via flat face surface located at angle ϕ with respect to surface perpendicular to faces of fourth waveguide to form and propagate dense luminous flux over fourth planar waveguide with refractive index n₁ by means of total internal reflection at incidence angle of 45 deg. To make dense luminous fluxes ratio of refractive indices n₁ and n₂ of first and third planar waveguides should be chosen so that refracted luminous flux after total internal reflection in first waveguide falls on to lower half of surface of butt of third waveguide perpendicular to direction of its faces and luminous flux from second planar waveguide with refractive index n₁ is injected into third waveguide with provision for fall of refracted luminous flux onto upper half of surface of same butt of third waveguide. Then densification of luminous fluxes is carried out with alternation of mirror incidences of luminous fluxes on to surfaces of butts of waveguides. EFFECT: increased densification efficiency, reduced noise in waveguides. 1 cl, 5 dwg