Patent · US Expired

Photo-driven switching apparatus

US5050969A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
4References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 26, 1989
Grant dateSep 24, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 26, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/0558
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A photo-driven switching apparatus in which a light beam is switched or modulated by using only light beam(s), comprising (a) a dielectric substrate having "photovoltaic effect"; (b) one or more couples of electrodes formed in or on at least portions of the surface(s) of the substrate so as to polarize the portion(s) positioned between the couple(s) of the electrodes thereby, (c) one or more photo-driving or photo-receiving elements provided at least in the polarized portion(s) of the surface of the dielectric substrate, having a polarization direction arranged at one certain direction, and having photovoltaic effect so as to generate photovoltage; (d) a dielectric rotation element comprising a light beam switching passage or modulator having a couple of polarizers, the polarization direction of each of which is perpendicularly crossed or parallel to each other, positioned on the surface of incoming of a light beam to be modulated, and at the surface of outgoing of the light beam, and a couple of electrodes formed on a couple of the other surfaces facing to each other of the element to apply an electric field in the element; (e) connecting leads connecting electrically the electrod…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.