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US 5,210,637 AGranted
High speed light modulation
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorKenneth A. Puzey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for modulating light, wherein a layer of material having a superconducting state is placed in the optical path of a light source and is switched between transparent, non-superconducting and non-transparent, superconducting states by a modulation circuit, thereby providing optical data modulation. A cooling device is provided to maintain the layer of material in its superconducting state. The light source is maintained at a constant optical output which reduces spectral dispersion.
Claims8
A light modulation device comprising:
- a light source supplying light to be modulated, said light source having a light output;
- a layer of material deposited on the light output of said light source, said material having a first, superconducting state wherein light is not transmitted therethrough and a second state wherein light is transmitted therethrough;
- and
- a modulation circuit for controlling electrical current flow through said layer of material for switching said material between its first, superconducting state and its second state thereby modulating light from said light source.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.