Patent · US Expired

Optical devices comprising polymer-dispersed crystalline materials

US6005707A · kind A · utility

96Cited by
0References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 21, 1997
Grant dateDec 21, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 21, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/01791
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Optical modulators and switches for use in telecommunications systems are disclosed having solid-state crystalline optical material comprised of III-V, II-VI, and IV semiconductor nanocrystals embedded in a polymer matrix. In a preferred embodiment, the crystalline material comprises CdSe crystals sized at less than 5.8 nm in diameter and more preferably at less than about 4 nm in diameter and advantageously embedded in poly(vinyl pyridine). The crystalline material sandwiched between two electrodes defines an optical modulator. In one preferred embodiment, the crystalline material with ten-percent crystal embedded in a polymer will exhibit with an applied voltage of 100V, a differential absorbance spectra (.DELTA.A) of about 50 cm.sup.-1 at wavelengths of about 610 nm and a differential refractive index (.DELTA.n) of about 10.sup.-4 at wavelengths of about 625 nm.

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