Abstract:
A fibre-optic coupler has the claddings of two or more optical fibres partially fused together over a coupling region, and a body of light-transmissive material, having a variable refractive index, contacts the claddings at the coupling region, such that by varying the refractive index of said body light transmitted along one fibre is split between the fibres in a varying ratio.
Abstract:
In a plasma etching method, an rf voltage (7) is applied between a pair of electrodes (3, 5) in a discharge chamber (11) so as to excite a low pressure glow discharge in a gas between the electrodes. The reflected rf power from between the electrodes is monitored (7), and the value of the reflected power level is used (9, 13) to determine the etch end point of a film (11) carried on one of the electrodes.
Abstract:
Optical couplers, whether in integrated or fibre optics, where there is at least one input lightpath (26) coupled to two or more output lightpaths (27) by depositing a film (4) of resistive metal over the coupling region and passing current through the film. This heats up the coupler and thus increases the refractive index forming a preferential lightpath through the heat region (24). Thus by heating particular regions, and by varying current through the film, the coupler is tuned as desired.
Abstract:
Procédé permettant d'améliorer les caractéristiques électriques d'un film mince (1 ou 9) formé sur un susbtrat (3 ou 11) par un procédé Langmuir-Blodgett. Le procédé consiste à immerger le film (1 ou 9) dans un fluide (5 ou 13) et à appliquer un potentiel électrique au substrat (1 ou 9) de sorte qu'une réaction électrochimique à auto-limitation dans le fluide (5 ou 13) provoque le remplissage préférentiel d'éventuelles cavités dans le film (1 ou 9).
Abstract:
A device for indicating whether a rise in temperature above a predetermined value has occurred includes a support member (3), such as a label, on which a temperature-sensitive material (1) is deposited. The material includes a large number of fracturable microcapsules containing a medium which changes from a solid state to a liquid state at the predetermined temperature value. The viscosity of the medium in its liquid state and the material of the support member are chosen such that the distance d₁ by which the medium flows across the support member after the fracturing of the microcapsules so as to activate the device is indicative of the time between activation of the device and cooling of the device to below the predetermined temperature value. If the temperature is subsequently allowed to rise above the predetermined value, the medium will again assume its liquid state and will flow further across the support member, reaching a distance of, say, d₂, thus indicating that the rise in temperature has occurred. The material may be printed on the label as a bar code, so that any rise above the predetermined temperature level will be indicated by distortion of the bar code which renders it unreadable.
Abstract:
A coaxial phase coupler is produced from an optical fibre by clamping the fibre (10) by means of clamps (16, 18) which can be driven apart in order to taper the intermediate portion of the fibre to a point at which power launched into the core of the fibre is substantially totally coupled or coupled to a desired ratio into the tubular waveguide surrounding the core of the fibre at the required wavelength.
Abstract:
In a digital radio transmission system, in which "multipath" interference is countered at a receiver station of the system by means of adaptive equalisation, an adaptive equaliser arrangement comprises two or more transversal equalisers in cascade.