Optical valve
US4796982A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 6, 1984 |
| Grant date | Jan 10, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 6, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/0147
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical switch comprising a transparent prism having a light input surface and a light output surface, and a reflective control layer having a refractive index higher than that of said prism and a thickness not smaller than the wavelength of the light applied to the optical valve. The reflective control layer is constituted by a thin film of electrooptical material or a thin film of a heat-sensitive optical material. When the reflective control layer is made of an electrooptical material, the optical valve can selectively reflect or transmit the light by controlling the electric field applied to the reflective control layer. When the heat-sensitive material is used as the material of the reflective control layer, a similar switching function can be attained by controlling an electric current supplied to a heat generating member attached to the reflective control layer. This optical valve can switch light at high-speed to selectively obtain reflected light and transmitted light and, hence, can be used as optical parts such as switches and modulators for optical communication system and parts of equipments such as projection type television receivers and printers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.