Patent · US Active

Nanomechanical photonic devices

US8639074B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by

7References

18Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Yale University · US

Inventors

Hongxing Tang · New Haven, US
Mo Li · Irvine, US
Wolfram Pernice · Münster, DE
Chi Xiong · Yorktown Heights, US

Key dates

Filing date	Apr 9, 2009
Grant date	Jan 28, 2014
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 10, 2029

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG02B2006/12061
WIPO fieldOptics
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to devices which operate on gradient optical forces, in particular, nanoscale mechanical devices which are actuable by gradient optical forces. Such a device comprises a waveguide and a dielectric body, with at least a portion of the waveguide separated from the dielectric body at a distance which permits evanescent coupling of an optical mode within the waveguide to the dielectric body. This results in an optical force which acts on the waveguide and which can be exploited in a variety of devices on a nano scale, including all-optical switches, photonic transistors, tuneable couplers, optical attenuators and tuneable phase shifters. The waveguide can also comprise a gap such that two cantilever bridges are formed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.