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US 5,313,535 AGranted
Optical path length modulator
AssigneeNynex Corporation
InventorGareth F. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical integrated circuit comprises an optical substrate and an optical waveguide supported by the substrate. A transducer is incorporated into the optical integrated circuit and coupled to the optical substrate. The transducer comprises a region of piezo-electric material and a set of electrodes for applying a voltage to the piezo-electric material for selectively causing the deformation of the piezo-electric material so as to alter the optical path length of the waveguide.
Claims22
An optical integrated circuit comprising:
- an optical substrate;
- an optical waveguide supported by said optical substrate;
- a transducer incorporated in said optical integrated circuit and coupled to the optical substrate for selectively controlling a path length of the optical waveguide, said transducer comprising:
- a region of piezoelectric material;
- and
- electrode means for applying a voltage to said piezoelectric material to selectively cause the mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric material and the mechanical deformation of the waveguide so as to alter the optical path length of the waveguide by changing the physical length of the waveguide.
3 more elements
An optical integrated circuit comprising:
- a piezoelectric base layer;
- a first electrode layer formed on a first surface of said piezoelectric base layer;
- a second electrode layer including a patterned drive electrode formed on a second surface of said piezoelectric base layer;
- an optical substrate layer formed on one of said surfaces of the piezoelectric base layer;
- and
- an optical waveguide supported by said optical substrate layer, said drive electrode being patterned so that a voltage applied between the first electrode layer and the drive electrode mechanically deforms said piezoelectric base layer and mechanically deforms said optical substrate layer including said optical waveguide so as to alter the optical path length of the optical waveguide by changing the physical length of the optical waveguide.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.