Materials for temperature-actuated optical switching at infrared wavelengths
AssigneeSRI International
InventorsBrian SLOVICK, Steven CROUCH-BAKER, Eric LAVELLE
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Abstract
Disclosed is a temperature-actuated optical switch comprising a. material having a ferroelectric to paraelectric transition at a Curie temperature, wherein the material has a first transmissivity to infrared light below the Curie temperature and has a second transmissivity to the infrared light above the Curie temperature, and wherein the second transmissivity is higher than the first transmissivity. Also disclosed are optical systems that comprise such a temperature-actuated optical switch and methods for using such a temperature-actuated optical switch.
Claims20
A temperature-actuated optical switch, comprising:
- a material having a ferroelectric to paraelectric transition at a Curie temperature, wherein the material has a first transmissivity to infrared light below the Curie temperature and has a second transmissivity to the infrared light above the Curie temperature, and wherein the second transmissivity is higher than the first transmissivity.
An optical system comprising:
- a temperature-actuated optical switch comprising a material having a ferroelectric to paraelectric transition at a Curie temperature, wherein the material has a first transmissivity to infrared light below the Curie temperature and has a second transmissivity to the infrared light above the Curie temperature, and wherein the second transmissivity is higher than the first transmissivity;
- and
- an infrared sensor optically coupled to the material, wherein the infrared sensor is configured to detect the infrared light.
A method comprising:
- exposing a temperature-actuated optical switch to infrared light, wherein the temperature-actuated optical switch comprises a material having a ferroelectric to paraelectric transition at a Curie temperature, wherein the material has a first transmissivity to the infrared light below the Curie temperature and has a second transmissivity to the infrared light above the Curie temperature, and wherein the second transmissivity is higher than the first transmissivity;
- detecting, by an infrared sensor, the infrared light transmitted through the temperature-actuated optical switch when the material has the first transmissivity;
- and
- detecting, by the infrared sensor, the infrared light transmitted through the temperature-actuated optical switch when the material has the second transmissivity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.