Optical signal control device and method for utilizing same

An optical device comprising:

• a polarization-controlling reflector, said reflector converting a first set of spatially-separated incident-light polarization components having incident angles of polarization into a first set of spatially-separated reflected-light polarization components having reflected angles of polarization and converting a second set of spatially-separated incident-light polarization components having incident angles of polarization into a second set of spatially-separated reflected-light polarization components having reflected angles of polarization, the incident angles of polarization of said first set of incident-light polarization components being different from the incident angles of polarization of said second set of incident-light polarization components, the reflected angles of polarization of said first set of spatially-separated reflected-light polarization components being different from the reflected angles of polarization of said second set of spatially-separated reflected-light polarization components, said reflector having a plurality of states and being controllable such that said reflector can be changed from one of said plurality of states to another of said plurality of states, the reflected angles of polarization having orientations relative to their respective incident angles of polarization, said orientations being a function of the state of the reflector;
• and
• a polarization-dependent optical-path device having at least a first input port, a first output port, a second input port and a second output port, said polarization-dependent optical-path device converting a first set of input-light polarization components that are at least partially spatially-coincident and that have been coupled into the first input port of the optical device into a first set of spatially-separated input-light polarization components and converting a second set of input-light polarization components that are at least partially spatially-coincident and that have been coupled into the second input port of the optical device into a second set of spatially-separated input-light polarization components, said polarization-dependent optical-path device converting said first set of spatially-separated input-light polarization components into said first set of spatially-separated incident-light polarization components and converting said second set of spatially-separated input-light polarization components into said second set of spatially-separated incident-light polarization components, and wherein when said reflector is in a first one of said plurality of states, said orientation is such that said polarization-dependent optical-path device causes at least a portion of said first set of reflected-light polarization components to be out-coupled from the optical device through said first output port.

An integrated optical device comprising:

• at least a first input port;
• at least a first output port;
• a substantially non-reciprocal directional stage comprising one or more elements that are configured to operate on polarization components of light, the directional stage receiving light from at least the first input port, the received light having polarization components, the directional stage controlling a path of propagation of the received light through the directional stage by operating on the polarization components of the received light;
• a reflective element having a plurality of states such that light impinging on the reflective element is reflected by the reflective element with a polarization that depends on the state of the reflective element;
• and
• a polarization stage interposed between the directional stage and the reflective element, the polarization stage directing the polarization components of light propagating through the directional stage onto the reflective element by operating on the polarization components of the light received by the polarization stage from the directional stage, and wherein the polarization stage directs light components reflected from the reflective element into the directional stage with a polarization that depends on the state of the reflective element to enable the directional stage to control the path of propagation of the reflected light based on the polarization of the reflected light components.

A method for operating on light, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an optical device having a polarization-dependent optical path device and a controllable reflective element that has a plurality of states;
• coupling input light into the optical device;
• using the polarization-dependent optical path device to separate the input light into spatially-separated input-light polarization components;
• using the polarization-dependent optical path device to provide the polarization components with incident angles of polarization and to direct the polarization components onto the reflective element;
• placing the reflective element in one of said plurality of states, wherein the reflective element reflects the input-light polarization components incident thereon, thereby producing reflected-light polarization components having reflected angles of polarization, the reflected angles of polarization depending on the state of the reflective element;
• and
• using the polarization-dependent optical path device to combine the reflected-light polarization components, the combined reflected-light polarization components being out-coupled from the optical device.