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AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsFranz Auracher, Hermann Buerk, Rudolf Keil, Michael Stockmann, Kaspar Weingand, Karl-Heinz Zeitler
Estimating the term…
An optical device, such as the switch, for controlling the passage of a light beam into and out of an end face of a waveguide such as a glass fiber includes utilizing either a layer or drop of liquid material to control the light passage. The liquid material can be a layer, which has changeable optical properties, which can occur by applying a magnetic field, heat or electrical field or the material can be a layer of electrolyte material which will precipitate a reflective layer or electrochromic layer in response to an application of an electrical field. In another embodiment, the liquid material may be moved into and out of engagement with the end face to change the reflective nature of the end face and to cause decoupling of light from the end face or block the transmission of light.
An optical device for controlling radiation conducted in an optical waveguide, said device comprising an optical waveguide having an end surface and means for controlling the entrance and exit of a beam of radiation from said end surface of the optical waveguide, said means including a liquid medium being disposed adjacent said end surface, said medium consisting of a specific amount of a free-flowing liquid material having a surface tension, said means including means for moving the free-flowing liquid into and out of the beam path, and said means for moving said liquid including means for changing the surface tension.
An optical device for controlling radiation conducted in an optical waveguide, said device comprising an optical waveguide having an end surface and means for controlling the entrance and exit of a beam of radiation from said end surface of the optical waveguide, said means including a liquid medium being disposed in the beam path adjacent said end surface, said medium being changeable between a light-transmissive state and a light-blocking state and comprising an electrolyte material electrochemically precipitating out a layer and redissolving said layer in response to an application of an electrical field, said means for controlling including means for changing the state of said medium by applying electrical fields to create and remove a precipitate layer.
An optical device for controlling radiation conducted in an optical waveguide, said device comprising an optical waveguide having an end surface and means for controlling the entrance and exit of a beam of radiation from said end surface of the optical waveguide, said means including a liquid medium being disposed in the beam path adjacent said end surface, said medium being changeable between a light-transmissive state and a light-blocking state and comprising and electrochromic material producing a layer of precipitate in response to an electrical field, said means for controlling including means for changing the state of said medium by selectively applying the electrical fields to produce said layer and to dissolve said layer.
An optical switch comprising at least a first and second optical waveguide having end surfaces, means supporting said waveguides in alignment with a gap between said end surface and means disposed at said gap for controlling transmission of light between said end surfaces, said means for controlling including a dielectric free-flowing liquid being disposed in said gap and a plurality of electrodes adjacent said gap for generating electrostatic fields to control the position of said free-flowing liquid.
An optical switch comprising at least a first and second optical waveguide having end surfaces, means supporting said waveguides in alignment with a gap between said end surface and means disposed at said gap for controlling transmission of light between said end surfaces, said means for controlling including a magnetizable liquid medium and electrodes constructed as conductor loops being disposed in said gap, said electrodes generating an essentially axially directed magnetic field when in a current permeated condition, said magnetizable liquid medium being movable to said axial magnetic field during one state of operation of said means for controlling.
An optical switch comprising at least a first and second optical waveguide having end surfaces, means supporting said waveguides in alignment with a gap between said end surface and means disposed at said gap for controlling transmission of light between said end surfaces, and means for creating a magnetic field extending at right angles relative to the aligned waveguides at said gap, said means for controlling including a free-flowing liquid material being disposed in said gap and movable from one position allowing light transmission between said waveguides to a second position blocking transmission, said means for controlling including a plurality of strip electrodes extending parallel to said waveguides, and means for electrically contacting selected electrodes with selected voltages so that said free-flowing liquid material short-circuits said electrodes and by so doing, generates a force moving the material to one of said positions in response to the magnetic field.
An optical switch comprising at least a first and second optical waveguide having end surfaces, means supporting said waveguides in alignment with a gap between said end surface and means disposed at said gap for controlling transmission of light between said end surfaces, said means for controlling including a liquid material and electrode pairs being disposed in particular areas of the end surfaces of the aligned waveguides, said electrodes being connected to means for applying a voltage therebetween, said liquid material being an electrolyte precipitating a light-blocking layer on one of said electrodes in response to a current applied to said electrodes, and wherein the removal of said current causes a dissolving of said layer back into said electrolyte.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.