Acousto-optical switch for fiber optic lines
OwnerGennadii Ivtsenkov, Valeri Narver +2inventors
InventorsGennadii Ivtsenkov, Valeri Narver, Leonid Magdich, Nikolay Solodovnikov
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Abstract
An optical switch for coupling a trunk optic fiber to a selected branch optic fiber is disclosed. The switch includes one or two optically active elements which are capable of being configured to have a different diffraction angle. The elements are configured so that an optical signal emitted from the trunk fiber is directed into the selected branch fiber. The switch may also operate in reverse to couple a signal from the branch fiber into the trunk fiber.
Claims56
An optical switching apparatus for coupling a first optic fiber with a second optic fiber, said switch comprising:
- (a) a controller for producing a first electric signal and a second electric signal;
- (b) first and second optically active elements, each of said optically active elements having a diffraction angle;
- (c) first and second piezoelectric transducers coupled to said controller for receiving said first and second electric signals, said first piezoelectric transducer being coupled to said first optically active element and being responsive to said first electric signal to produce a first acoustic wave in said first optically active element, said second piezoelectric transducer being coupled to said second optically active element and being responsive to said second electric signal to produce a second acoustic wave in said second optically active element,
- wherein the diffraction angle of said first optically active element corresponds to said first acoustic wave, and wherein the diffraction angle of said second optically active element corresponds to said second acoustic wave, and wherein an optical signal emitted from said first optic fiber is deflected by said first and second optically active elements into said second optic fiber.
An optical switch for coupling a first optic fiber with a second optic fiber, said switch comprising:
- (a) a controller for producing an electric signal;
- (b) a piezoelectric transducer for receiving said electric signal and providing an acoustic signal corresponding to said electric signal;
- (c) an optically active element responsive to said acoustic signal for controlling the diffraction angle of said optically active element,
- wherein said controller generates a signal to control the diffraction angle of said optically active element such that an optical signal emitted from said first fiber passes through said optically active element and is deflected into said second optic fiber.
A method for directing an optical signal emitted from a first optic fiber into a second optic fiber, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting said second optic fiber from a plurality of optic fibers;
- (b) deflecting said optical signal along a first plane;
- (c) deflecting said optical signal along a second plane generally perpendicular to said first plane;
- and
- (d) focusing said optical signal such that it is aligned with said second fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.