Opto-electronic directional switch
US4809290A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 10, 1987 |
| Grant date | Feb 28, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 10, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/06243
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An opto-electronic switch which shows a good signal rejection ratio between modes is also of particularly small dimensions. The switch comprises a semiconductor laser 1 having four contacts 12, 12', 13, 13' which provide gain guiding under two stripe windows 18, 19. By varying the bias currents supplied to the individual contacts 12, 12', 13, 13', or inputting optical control signals to the waveguiding channels under the stripe windows 18, 19, different configurations of optical output from the laser 1 can be achieved. The two contacts, 12, 12' and 13, 13', associated with each stripe window 18, 19 are effectively a signal stripe contact with a discontinuity. It is thought that diffractive transverse coupling at the discontinuity allows the use of a shorter device than in known directional switches. With feedback, the switch operates as a memory device. The switch finds particular application in optical communications, for instance in signal routing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.