RO118784B1 - Method and device for the directed transmission of information through fluid media and/or plasma using electromagnetic radiation - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for the directed transmission of information through fluid media and/or plasma using electromagnetic radiation, from far infrared to the gamma-ray domain. According to the invention, the method is based on isolating the fluid propagation medium from the influences of the environment. A fluid propagation medium means a gas or a gaseous mixture (the pressure ranging between 100 at and 10^ -10 torr) as well as a liquid or a mixture of liquids. The propagation of electromagnetic radiation may also be considered to take place in vacuum or in plasma, in such cases, the isolation from the environment being absolutely necessary. The isolation is conceived so as to provide for the possibility of primary processing of the light beams which are propagating through the fluid propagation medium, in other words focusing on them, amplifying them, atenuating them, modifying the polarization state, their frequency, their phase, delaying them, separating them in more beams or merging more beams into a smaller number of beams.The device for the directed transmission of information through fluid media and/or plasma using electromagnetic radiation, uses the said method, the isolation being made by means of a rigid tube (1), provided with the necessary elements for controlling the propagation and the parameters of the electromagnetic radiation beams.

Description

RO 118784 B

The invention relates to a method and a device for the guided transmission through fluid and/or plasma media of information using electromagnetic radiation.

A method of transmitting information using electromagnetic radiation is known, namely that which uses optical fiber transmission. Optical fiber transmission [1] uses a transparent dielectric waveguide with a high refractive index, which is surrounded by a transparent dielectric medium with a lower refractive index or, respectively, a transparent dielectric medium whose refractive index refraction decreases from the center outwards. It is also known [2], [3] the use of waveguides, which contain liquids for the transmission of light, liquids that offer a wider spectral range than optical fibers based on SiO ₂ . in the case of [2], the spectral range covered is 250 nm - 2000 nm.

The disadvantages of fiber optic transmission are:

- optical fibers are not transparent over a wide spectral range. This aspect limits the spectral range used to transmit information and thereby the amount of information and the speed at which information can be transmitted over optical fiber;

- optical fibers are dispersive, i.e. the refractive index depends on the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation propagating through the optical fiber. This makes it impossible to transmit optical solitons with very short durations and very high repetition rates, which leads to a reduction in the speed of information transmission. On the other hand, depending on the nature of the material from which the optical fiber is made, solitons can only propagate for certain wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum (wavelengths at which the optical fiber exhibits zero dispersion). This leads to a reduction in the amount of information that can be transmitted through the optical fiber;

- optical fibers exhibit optical birefringence, which leads to a change in the state of polarization of the electromagnetic radiation that propagates through the optical fiber. This means that the transmission of information by modulating the polarization state of light cannot be used to its full potential. in addition, any mechanical stress applied to the optical fiber changes its birefringence, thus distorting the state of polarization of the electromagnetic radiation transmitted through it.

Also, a method of transmitting information using electromagnetic radiation is known, namely that which transmits the beam of electromagnetic radiation through the atmosphere. The disadvantages of transmission using electromagnetic radiation propagating through the atmosphere are:

- optical signal power losses occur due to absorption and scattering by the various particles in the atmosphere, such as dust, aerosols, water droplets, etc.;

- the atmosphere is transparent only for a few spectral domains, among which we mention: the visible domain, the 3-5 pm domain, the 8-12 pm domain. This limits both the amount of information that can be transmitted and the maximum distance it can be transmitted;

- optical signal power losses depend on meteorological conditions, optical signal power losses depend on pollutants in the air;

- fluctuations in temperature, pressure, density and/or composition of the air produce fluctuations in the transmitted optical signal, translated by fluctuations in intensity, frequency, phase and/or polarization of the optical signal. These fluctuations represent a disturbing factor for the transmitted information.

The problem that the invention solves is to create a propagation medium that is isolated from the influences of the external environment and that can be changed and controlled according to needs, ensuring an extremely wide working spectral range for any of the electromagnetic radiation propagation modes (continuous wave, modulated wave or electromagnetic soliton regime), medium through which electromagnetic radiation can propagate in a guided manner.

RO 118784 B

The proposed method, according to the invention, eliminates the disadvantages mentioned above in that it consists in isolating the fluid medium for the propagation of the electromagnetic radiation that carries the information from the external fluid or solid medium, thus allowing the electromagnetic radiation to propagate without being affected by the external environment and by the fluctuations of its parameters. By electromagnetic radiation is meant any electromagnetic radiation starting 55 from the far infrared range up to the range of X and gamma radiation. Also, information can be encoded both in analog and/or digital form and/or in polyvalent logic, and in image form. By fluid propagation medium is meant a medium that can be gas (with a pressure between 100 at and 10' ¹⁸ torr), liquid or plasma (with a degree of ionization between 10' ¹² and 1). 60

The proposed device, according to the invention, works based on the method according to the invention, removing the disadvantages mentioned above in that it isolates the fluid medium for the propagation of electromagnetic radiation from the external environment with the help of a tube made of wood, plastic, metal, stone, cement or any other solid material, tube containing inside the elements necessary to control the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through the tube. By solid material is meant any material that has the property of keeping its own shape as long as it is not acted upon by an external force. The tube plays the role of a protective element of the propagation fluid medium against the external conditions and against the variation of these external conditions, the propagation of the electromagnetic radiation taking place inside this tube. Also, the tube offers the possibility of controlling the parameters of the propagation medium. 70

The method and device for the guided transmission of information through fluid and/or plasma media using electromagnetic radiation, according to the invention, have the following advantages:

- covers an extremely wide spectral field;

- allows the propagation of optical solitons with a duration however short and at frequencies of 75 repetitions however high;

- optical birefringence does not occur, which causes the polarization state of the light to remain constant. This allows the use of modulation of the polarization state of electromagnetic radiation when transmitting information on optical carriers;

- the fluid propagation medium does not contain dust, aerosols, water droplets and other impurities, 80 which leads to the reduction of optical signal power losses;

- the fluid propagation medium offers stable conditions of temperature, pressure, density, composition, which leads to the reduction of power losses of the optical signal;

- the fluid medium in the tube can be of any nature or can be vacuum, depending on the required performance; 85

- images can be transmitted very easily, without the problem of distortions;

- sound waves, plasma fields or other types of changes can be created in the fluid medium of propagation that lead to changes in the propagation of optical signals;

- in the fluid medium of propagation, non-linear interactions can occur between the optical beams propagating through it; 90

- the system used is easy to manufacture;

- the system used is easy to mount and repair;

- the system is less sensitive to the changes produced by ground movements on the optical properties of the propagation medium, not preventing the phenomenon of birefringence induced by mechanical stress or absorption induced by mechanical stress; 95

- the system can be made using any solid material;

- the system can include simple optical signal distribution systems, as well as their multiplexing/demultiplexing;

- the system allows the use of plasma to modify the reflective properties of optical surfaces; 100

- the system can be mounted underground, underwater, at ground level or in the air.

RO 118784 B

An embodiment of the invention is given next in connection with fig. 1... 9, which represent:

- fig.1 - structure of the system used to transmit information on optical carriers;

- fig.2 - the system for changing the direction of electromagnetic radiation propagation using total internal reflection;

- fig.3 - the system for changing the direction of propagation of electromagnetic radiation using elements with reflective surfaces;

- fig. 4 - the system for controlling the parameters of the electromagnetic radiation beam and/or its primary processing;

- fig. 5 - the system for demultiplexing and/or separating the electromagnetic radiation beam;

- fig. 6 - the system for multiplexing and/or combining electromagnetic radiation beams;

- fig. 7 - the structure of the tubes without slits or holes used to isolate the fluid propagation medium;

- fig. 8 - the structure of tubes with slits and/or holes used to isolate the propagation fluid medium;

- fig. 9 - schematic structure of the fluid supply system.

The method for the guided transmission through vacuum, fluids and/or plasma of information, using electromagnetic radiation, consists in isolating the fluid medium of propagation of the electromagnetic radiation that carries the information from the external environment and its fluctuations. The insulation is made with the help of a rigid solid tube. By fluid propagation medium is meant a medium that can be gas (with a pressure between 100 atm and 10' ^1B torr), liquid or plasma (with an ionization degree between 10 ¹² and 1). The method consists in the delimitation of the fluid medium which can be gas, liquid and/or plasma, delimitation which is in the form of constant volumes, protected from the ambient environment against the variation of temperature, pressure, the shape of the enclosure that delimits the volume, the composition, the actions its physical and/or chemical effects on the fluid medium of propagation. Also medium! of propagation can be the vacuum - the fluid medium which is static. The respective volumes are arranged in the form of linear segments, joined together so as to form angles between 0° and 180°, each segment or only part of the segments comprising at least one optical element to ensure a reflection and/or a focus and /or a change in polarization state and/or a change in intensity and/or a change in frequency and/or a change in phase and/or multiplexing or demultiplexing and/or delaying one or more beams of electromagnetic radiation, optical element which ensure the splitting of a number of electromagnetic radiation beams into a larger number of electromagnetic radiation beams or the merging of at least two electromagnetic radiation beams into a smaller number of electromagnetic radiation beams. These volumes allow the change of the fluid medium of propagation or the control of the temperature and/or pressure and/or the composition and/or density of this medium, within these volumes sound waves and/or plasma domains can be created to modify the propagation of electromagnetic beams, between the volumes containing the homogeneous fluid medium and/or plasma can be interspersed with volumes containing a mixture of fluids or a fluid with the role of achieving nonlinear interactions for one or more electromagnetic beams, which propagate through the respective fluid medium. The electromagnetic radiation that propagates through the fluid medium has a power between 1 fW and 100 TW, respectively an energy between 1 fJ and 1 MJ. Also, the electromagnetic radiation can be totally polarized or partially polarized or unpolarized, it can be coherent or partially coherent or incoherent and belongs to the far infrared spectral range, preferably up to 500 pm upper limit of length

RO 118784 Β wave and up to the X and gamma radiation range, preferably down to 0.01 Â lower wavelength limit. Likewise, the electromagnetic radiation can be time-modulated analogically or time-modulated in polyvalent logic, or time-modulated digitally, respectively time-modulated in intensity and/or in frequency and/or in phase and/or in polarization state and/or spatially modulated as analog image or as an image in polyvalent logic or as a digital image and/or as an image spatially modulated in intensity and/or in frequency and/or in phase and/or in polarization state, respectively temporally and spatially modulated by a combination of the mentioned modulation types. Electromagnetic radiation can be multiplexed in frequency and/or in polarization state and/or in spatial and/or temporal position or unmultiplexed. 160

The device consists of a tube 1, solid, in which is the propagation fluid medium 2, through which the electromagnetic beam 3 propagates. The tube 1 can be a cylinder having a convex shape of the base section or a prism whose base has a shape convex. It is also possible to use several tubes bonded together along the generators, of at least one edge and/or face, the propagation media 2 in the various individual tubes may or may not communicate 165 with each other. From place to place, in the tube are mounted the focusing elements 4 of the light signal, which are fixed on the clamping elements 5. The role of the focusing elements 4 is to reduce the expansion of the beam that occurs as a result of its non-zero divergence. The focusing elements 4 can be ordinary converging lenses, Fresnel lenses or lenses obtained by making a suitable profile of the refractive index inside them. For 170 X and gamma radiation, the focusing elements 4 can be made of monocrystalline or polycrystalline materials of different compositions, cut and/or arranged according to certain crystalline directions and having different geometric shapes, which can be mechanically stressed or not. The clamping element 5 has the role of securing the focusing elements 4 to the tube 1, so that the focusing element 4 is mechanically stable and rigid. The clamping of the focusing element 4 in the clamping element 5 is done in such a way that the focusing element 4 is neither deformed nor mechanically stressed. From place to place, the tube 1 has a system 6, for filling/emptying with propagation fluid of the tube 1, system 6 which has the role of ensuring the desired propagation medium 2 for the electromagnetic beam 3.

The source of electromagnetic radiation 7 can be a source that emits electromagnetic radiation as a result of the passage of a current of electric charges through it, a chemical reaction that takes place in it, its heating, bioluminescence processes that take place in it, of mechano-luminescent processes that take place in it, of photoluminescence or radioluminescence processes that take place in it. The electromagnetic radiation emitted by the source 7 and forming the beam 3 can be coherent or partially coherent or incoherent, respectively it can be totally polarized or partially polarized or unpolarized, respectively it can be monochromatic or narrow band or wide band, respectively it can be in regime of continuous wave or in modulated mode or in pulse mode or in optical soliton mode. The source of electromagnetic radiation 7 can be an individual source or it can group several individual sources of electromagnetic radiation. The spectral range of the electromagnetic radiation source 7 is 190 preferably comprised between 0.01Â-500 pm.

The electromagnetic radiation detector 8, which can be an individual detector or a group of several individual detectors, can be photoconductive, photovoltaic, photocapacitive, photomagnetic, pyroelectric, pyromagnetic, bolometric, thermopile-type, film-type (biographical, with storage and/or charge transfer, of the photoelectret type, or based on the external photoelectric effect 195 The working spectral range of the detector is preferably comprised between

0.01 Â -r 500 pm.

RO 118784 B

The tubes 1 are joined from place to place by one of the currently existing tube joining techniques, so that the joint is sealed, to avoid the penetration of the outside environment into the interior of the tube 1. Also, the tubes 1 are joined in such a way that does not deform as a result of the joint.

To change the direction of propagation of the optical beam, the phenomenon of total internal reflection of an optical element can be used, namely on a prism 9, provided with an anti-reflection layer, prism that is clamped to the tube 1 with the help of the clamping element 10. The clamping element 10 must meet the same conditions as the clamping element 5. Also, to change the direction of propagation of the beam, its reflection on a reflective element 11, having a flat or curved reflective surface, can also be used. This reflective element 11 can be a dielectric mirror, a metallic mirror or a plastic material itself known to have a high reflectivity (its reflectivity remaining high for a wide range of values of the angle of incidence of the electromagnetic radiation, between 0° and 89° ). The reflective element 11 is fastened to the tube 1 with the help of the fastening element 12, fastening element 12 which must meet the same conditions as the fastening element 5.

Also, the tube 1 may contain at least one optical element 13, which is fixed in the clamping element 14. The optical element 13 may be an electromagnetic radiation amplifier or an electromagnetic radiation attenuator or an electromagnetic radiation beam delay element or a polarizer of electromagnetic radiation or a depolarizer of electromagnetic radiation or a spectral filter or a spatial filter or a birefringent plate or a non-linear optical element. The role of the optical element 13 is to ensure a primary processing of the electromagnetic radiation beam 3, which carries the information during its propagation through the propagation fluid medium 2. The amplification can preferably have values between 10 ⁶ + 10 ⁶ , the delay can have values preferably between 1 pscc and 1 s, the frequency change can have values preferably between 1 Hz and the harmonic frequency of the incident electromagnetic radiation beam, the phase change can have values preferably between 0° and 360 °. Also, the tube 1 can contain at least one optical element 15, fixed in the clamping element 16, optical element 15 which can be an electromagnetic radiation beam splitter or a spatial demultiplexer of the electromagnetic radiation beam or a spectral demultiplexer of the electromagnetic radiation beam. electromagnetic radiation. Its role is to separate the incident beam of electromagnetic radiation 3 into two or more emerging beams 17 of electromagnetic radiation that have different directions of propagation relative to each other. Also, the tube 1 contains the optical element 18 fixed in the clamping element 19. The optical element 18 can be a spatial multiplexer or a spectral multiplexer, its role being to unite in a single emerging beam 3 of electromagnetic radiation a number of at least two incident beams of electromagnetic radiation 20 which have different directions of propagation relative to each other. Clamps 14, 16 and 19 must meet the same requirements as clamp 5.

A tube 1 or a set of tubes 1 can be used that can communicate with each other by means of slots a or holes b. This communication between the tubes 1 is useful to be able to ensure the same fluid propagation medium 2 in all the tubes, using a single source of fluid 21. Also, the tubes 1 may not communicate with each other, in which case they have no slot or hole. This situation is necessary when each tube must contain a certain propagation fluid medium, different from the others, according to the propagation requirements for each communication channel.

Claims (2)

RO 118784 Β A preferred embodiment of the device for fluid and/or plasma guided transmission of information using electromagnetic radiation is further given. Thus, the tube 1 is rigid polyethylene, inside which is the propagation fluid medium 2 consisting of air. Beam 3 originates from the source of electromagnetic radiation 7, which is a He-Ne laser that emits linearly polarized radiation at a wavelength of 632 nm with a power of 1 mW. The air pressure in the tube is 1 at. The beam 3 is focused by the converging lens 250 4, which has a focal length of 100 m, in order to compensate for the divergence of the laser beam and thus ensure a longer propagation distance. In order to change the direction of propagation of the beam 3 by 90°, an optical element is used, namely a quartz prism 9, with total reflection, whose entrance face of the optical beam is covered with an anti-reflection layer. in order to compensate for power losses, an optical element 255 13 is used, namely a radiation amplifier, which ensures an amplification of 1000. Also, in order to transmit information to several users, another optical element 15 is used, a hologram, which splits the initial beam 3 into 15 emerging beams 17. The detector 8 is a silicon-based Schottky photodiode. 260 Claims 1. Method for the guided transmission of information through fluids and/or plasma using electromagnetic radiation, characterized in that it consists in delimiting the fluid medium which can be gas with a pressure between 100 at and 10' ¹⁸ torr, liquid and/or plasma or 265 it can be the vacuum, delimitation that is in the form of constant volumes, protected from the ambient environment against the variation of temperature, pressure, the shape of the enclosure that delimits the volume, its composition, its physical and/or chemical actions on the fluid medium of propagation, fluid medium that is static, the volumes being arranged in the form of linear segments, joined together in such a way that they form angles between 0° and 180°, each segment or 270 only part of the segments comprising at least one optical element to ensure a reflection and/or a focus and/or a change in polarization state and/or a change in intensity and/or a change in frequency and/or a change in phase and/or multiplexing or demultiplexing and/or delaying one or more beams of electromagnetic radiation, respectively an optical element that ensures the division of a number of electromagnetic radiation beams into a larger number of electromagnetic radiation beams or the merging of at least two electromagnetic radiation beams into a smaller number of electromagnetic radiation beams, volumes that allow changing the fluid medium of propagation or controlling the temperature and/or pressure and/or composition and/or density of this medium, inside these volumes being able to create sound waves and/or domains of 280 plasma that to modify the propagation of electromagnetic beams, between the volumes containing the homogeneous fluid medium and/or plasma, volumes containing a mixture of fluids or a fluid with the role of achieving non-linear interactions for one or more electromagnetic beams propagating through the respective fluid medium can be interspersed , electromagnetic radiation that has power between 1 fW and 100 TW, respectively energy between 1 fJ and 1 MJ, 285 electromagnetic radiation that can be totally polarized or partially polarized or non-polarized, electromagnetic radiation that can be coherent or partially coherent or incoherent, electromagnetic radiation belonging to the far-infrared spectral range, preferably up to 500 pm upper wavelength limit and up to the X-ray and gamma radiation range, preferably up to 0.01 Â lower wavelength limit, elec- 290 tromagnetic that can be time-modulated analog or time-modulated in polyvalent logic or time-modulated digital, respectively time-modulated in intensity and/or in RO 118784 Β frequency and/or in phase and/or in polarization state and/or spatially modulated as analog images or as polyvalent logic images or as digital images and/or as intensity and/or frequency spatially modulated images and/ or in phase and/or in polarization state, respectively temporally and spatially modulated by a combination of the aforementioned modulation types, electromagnetic radiation that can be multiplexed in frequency and/or in polarization state and/or in spatial position and/or temporal or non-multiplexed. 2. Device for the guided transmission through fluids and/or plasma of information using electromagnetic radiation based on the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of a tube (1) or a set of tubes containing inside a medium of propagation (2) fluid and/or plasma of the electromagnetic radiation (3) that carries the information, the tube assembly being formed of individual tubes (1) glued along a generator, respectively of at least one edge and/or face, the propagation media (2) in the different tubes (1) being able to communicate with each other or not, as well as some control elements (4, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 18) of the electromagnetic radiation propagation, allowing the change of the fluid propagation medium ( 2) which may be gas or liquid or plasma, and/or control the temperature and/or pressure and/or composition and/or density of this propagation fluid medium (2) according to the requirements related to the characteristics of the fluid medium (2) of propagation, allowing the use of sound waves and/or plasma fields and/or electromagnetic radiation to modify the propagation of the information-carrying electromagnetic radiation beam (3), allowing non-linear interactions between the various electromagnetic radiation beams (3) propagating through the fluid propagation medium (2), ensuring the transmission of optical signals temporally modulated in analogue mode or temporally modulated in polyvalent logic or temporally modulated digitally, respectively temporally modulated in intensity and/or frequency and/or phase and/or polarization state, respectively spatially modulated as analog images or in polyvalent or digital logic, spatially modulated in intensity and/or in frequency and/or in phase and/or in polarization state, respectively spatially and temporally modulated by combinations of said spatial and temporal modulations, multiplexed in frequency and/or polarization state and/or spatial and/or temporal position or unmultiplexed, optical signals which may preferably be in the 0.01 Â ^500 pm range of wavelengths. The president of the examination committee: Eng. Cornea Lavinia Examiner: phys. Hi Robert