Three dimensional optical switches and beam steering modules

US7023604B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Analog Devices, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Behrang Behin · Berkeley, US
• Robert Conant · Burlingame, US
• Michael Julian Daneman · Campbell, US
• David Horsley · Albany, US
• Meng-Hsiung Kiang · Albany, US
• David Lerner · New York, US
• Satinderpall S. Pannu · Berkeley, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 17, 2001
• Grant date: Apr 4, 2006
• Expiry date: Oct 1, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/3512
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A beam steering module comprised of a mirror stack array in close proximity to a collimator array controllably steers photons along two axis and in a direction substantially less than 90 degrees to the collimator orientation. Several configurations of the module are described using single and double axis mirror rotation and relay optics. Optical telecommunications switches are shown using modules coupled to each other along flat and curved surfaces, with and without use of fold mirror and enabling a plurality of configuration options including photodetector optical power monitoring schemes that require no external power taps.