Optical devices employing an optical thresholder
US6327399A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 22, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 4, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 22, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/3523
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical device for use with an optical input beam comprises and optical thresholding device having a predetermined threshold level, and is positioned along an optical path defined by the propagation direction of the optical input beam. A source generates a control beam through the optical thresholding device, wherein if the combined intensity of the optical input beam and the control beam is large enough to exceed the threshold level of the thresholding device, the optical beam passes through he thresholding device. The thresholding device attenuates the optical beam as it passes therethrough. In a preferred embodiment, the optical thresholding device is a saturable absorber. When the device is configured as an optical comparator, the intensity of the optical input beam is large enough to exceed the threshold level of the thresholding device, the thresholding device saturates and turns transparent so that the control beam passes through the thresholding device as an optical indicator beam and the optical input beam passes through the thresholding device. When configured as an optical signal attenuator and the intensity of the optical input signal is negligible compared to that o…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.