Patent ID: 8682128

Claim:
An optical waveguide, comprising: a substrate comprising a dielectric material having a dielectric constant ∈ 1 ; a waveguide layer disposed on and in contact with the substrate, the waveguide layer having a dielectric constant ∈ 2 ; a plurality of sub-wavelength sized regions embedded within the waveguide layer, wherein the plurality of regions are arranged in a pair of curved parallel rows defining a space therebetween filled by a material of the waveguide layer, wherein each of the regions has a dielectric constant ∈ 4 , the dielectric constant ∈ 4 of each of the regions is greater than the dielectric constant of the waveguide layer ∈ 2 , and wherein destructive interference of the electromagnetic radiation propagating within the waveguide layer with the plurality of sub-wavelength sized regions allows the electromagnetic radiation to change a propagation direction in the optical waveguide along a curved path defined by the curved parallel rows; and a cladding layer disposed over and in contact with the plurality of sub-length sized regions and the waveguide layer, the cladding layer having a dielectric constant ∈ 3 that is less than the dielectric constant ∈ 4 of each of the regions of the plurality of sub-wavelength sized regions and the dielectric constant ∈ 2 of the waveguide layer.