Optical space switch device
US5532855A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 27, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jul 2, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 27, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2011/0052
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention provides an optical space switch device which provides variable interconnection of one- or two-dimensionally spatially multiplexed optical signals. The optical space switch device comprises a plurality of optical space switch stages stacked to form a multi-input multi-output optical space switch. Each of the optical space switch stages comprises a plurality of 2-input 2-output optical switches, each of which comprises a polarization control layer and an optical path shifting layer. The optical path shifting layer has a bypass mode in which it outputs beams of light along optical axes and an exchange mode in which it shifts beams of light by diffraction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.