All optical switch
US6041151A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 17, 1998 |
| Grant date | Mar 21, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 17, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B5/3083
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical switch for switching first and second input beams linearly polarized in the same direction which has a first half wave plate for rotating the polarization optically coupled to the second input beam, the first input beam and the output of the half wave plate input to a first polarization beam displacer which provides a combined beam, the output of which is connected to a controllable half wave gate which in a passive state passes the combined beam gate and in the active state passes the combined beamed rotated by 90 degree to an output Gate in dependence of a controlled signal input to the controllable wave gate. The output of the controllable wave gate is input to a second polarization beam displacer which refracts light into first and second refracted output beams displaced from each other a predetermined distance and a second half wave plate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.