Patent ID: 8503839

Claim:
An optical system comprising: a component having at least one waveguide extending between waveguide ends, formed in part of at least one layer of the component that extends over a substrate of the component, the waveguide comprising a composite subwavelength structured core, and a cladding adjacent to the core, on at least one side; and wavelength-limiting optical elements in optical communication with the waveguide ends, that pass light of wavelengths higher than a cutoff wavelength λ c , and does not effectively propagate wavelengths below λ c , whereby useful optical signals passing through the waveguide are in one or more linewidths or bandwidths having wavelength(s) greater than λ c , wherein: a. the composite structured core is formed of materials of at least two distinct indices of refraction, b. a sequence of interfaces defined between the at least two materials meet at interfaces along a direction of propagation of the waveguide, c. three sequential interfaces are separated by less than about ½λ c /n eff , whereby diffraction of the useful optical signals is suppressed, and d. an effective index of refraction of the material is constant across the waveguide, to the extent that the composite structured core is effectively a homogeneous medium.