Interferometer apparatus using electro-optic material with feedback
US4196396A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 3, 1978 |
| Grant date | Apr 1, 1980 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 3, 1998 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/21
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A nonlinear interferometer apparatus is disclosed wherein a Fabry-Perot cavity is substantially filled with an electro-optic material having terminals to which a potential can be applied. A single frequency, single mode, linearly polarized source of optical radiation is coupled into the cavity and a beam splitter at the output of the cavity deflects a portion of the optical energy coming from the cavity. This deflected portion of output optical energy is incident on a photodetector whose output is amplified and connected to the terminals of the electro-optic material. The resulting device exhibits differential gain, and can function as an optical switch, limiter or optical memory element. With sufficient amplification of the detector output, an optical quantizer is provided. By properly adjusting the cavity length and providing a substantially constant optical signal to the input end of the cavity, an amplified replica of an amplitude modulated optical signal applied to the photodetector appears at the output end of the cavity.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.