Interferometer optical switch and variable optical attenuator
US7590312B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 2, 2004 |
| Grant date | Sep 15, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 5, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2203/04
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention discloses an interferometer optical switch that can carry out switching over a broad band and has a high extinction ratio and large fabrication tolerance. The interferometer optical switch employs a phase generating coupler, the phase difference of the output of which has wavelength dependence, as at least one of the optical multi/demultiplexing device included in the interferometer optical switch. A wavelength insensitive interferometer optical switch is implemented by making the sum 2π{φ1(λ)+φΔL(λ)+φ2(λ)} constant regardless of the wavelength, where φ1(λ) is the phase produced by the first optical multi/demultiplexing device, 2πφΔL(λ) is the phase difference of the optical delay line with an optical path length difference of ΔL, and 2πφ2(λ) is the phase produced by the second optical multi/demultiplexing device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.