Optical devices employing an optical thresholder
US6529674B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 29, 2001 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 29, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/3523
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical device for use with an optical input beam comprising an optical thresholding device positioned along an optical path defined by the propagation direction of the optical input beam. If the combined intensity of the optical input beam and a control beam exceeds a threshold level, the optical beam passes through the thresholding device. Preferably, the optical thresholding device is a saturable absorber. When the device is configured as an optical comparator, the intensity of the optical input beam exceeds the threshold level and the thresholding device saturates and turns transparent so that the control beam passes through the thresholding device as an optical indicator beam. When the device is configured as an optical signal attenuator and the intensity of the optical input signal is negligible compared to that of the control beam, the combined intensity of the beams does not saturate the thresholding device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.