Optically bidirectional fast optical switch having reduced light loss
US5305136A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 1992 |
| Grant date | Apr 19, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/0311
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optically bidirectional electrically controlled optical switch having reduced light loss includes an electro-optic crystal having one set of fast and slow optical axes and having at least two light paths for receiving light beams through the crystal, the crystal exhibiting electric field induced birefringence such that a light beam passing through the crystal along a light path and having a plane of polarization oriented in a first direction may have its plane of polarization switched from the first direction to a plane of polarization oriented in a second direction. Beam splitting polarizers are disposed at each end of the electro-optic crystal and optically aligned with the two light paths. The beam splitting polarizers split the optical beam into two light beams having planes of polarization oriented in the first and second directions when transmitting light to the two light paths and combine the two light beams into a single light beam when receiving light beams from the two light paths. Substantially 100% of the unpolarized light input to the optical switch is transferred to the output due to the use of the beam splitting polarizers. In a preferred embodiment of the inventi…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.