Variable optical attenuator with shutter type mems
AssigneeII-VI Photonics, Inc.
InventorsJiangming Lin, Baozhong Zheng, Yunbing Xu, Yang Li
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a variable optical attenuator (VOA) and a method of variably optically attenuating a light beam, a input lens receives an input light beam and an output lens outputs an output light beam. A mirror reflects the input light beam as the output light beam. The mirror or a moveable element is movable in a manner to block, pass, and/or reflect at least a portion of the light included in the input light beam and the output light beam, whereupon the output light beam has reduced or increased brightness or intensity versus the input light beam.
Claims11
A variable optical attenuator (VOA) comprising:
- a lens means for receiving an input light beam and for outputting an output light beam;
- a rotatable mirror positioned and operative, when rotating, for reflecting the input light beam received from the lens means to different parts of an input face of a cylindrical lens which causes the input light beam received at the different parts of the input face of the cylindrical lens to be output as a plurality of parallel beams of light via an output face of the cylindrical lens;
- and
- a reflector positioned for reflecting at least a portion of the parallel beams of light output via the output face of the cylindrical lens back through the cylindrical lens to the rotatable mirror which reflects the light received from the cylindrical lens as the output light beam.
A method of variably optically attenuating a light beam comprising:
- (a) passing an input light beam through a first lens;
- (b) reflecting, by a rotating mirror, at least a portion of the input light beam of step (a) to a reflector via a cylindrical lens which separates the input light beam received at the different parts of an input face of the cylindrical lens into a plurality of parallel beams of light that are output via an output face of the cylindrical lens to the reflector;
- (c) reflecting, by the reflector, at least a portion of the parallel beams of light output via the output face of the cylindrical lens back through the cylindrical lens to the rotating mirror which reflects the light received from the cylindrical lens as the output light beam through a second lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.