Dynamic optical filter

US6522456B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Corning Applied Technologies Corporation · US
• CORNING INCORPORATED · US

Inventors

• Qiushui Chen · Medford, US
• Hua Jiang · Shanghai, CN
• Yingyin Kevin Zou · Burlington, US
• Dean Z. Tsang · Burlington, US
• Paul Melman · Newton, US
• Feiling Wang · Medford, US
• Guanghai Jin · Yongin-si, KR
• Jing Zhao · Nanhu, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: May 4, 2001
• Grant date: Feb 18, 2003
• Expiry date: May 4, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2203/48
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus and method for filtering an optical input is disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment, an optical input is split into polarization components along separate paths. The polarization components are then fed into a first electro-optic device that includes a set of electrodes across which a voltage is applied to adjust a wavelength transmission characteristic of the device. A section of the first device positioned between the electrodes preferably has a birefringence that is adjusted depending on the voltage applied across the electrodes. The adjusted components of the optical input are thereafter combined to produce an optical output. Accordingly, the optical input can be attenuated based on the voltage applied to electrodes of the first electro-optic device.