Optical time shifter and routing system
AssigneeWavefront Research, Inc.
InventorsThomas W. Stone, Michelle S. Malcuit
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical time shifter and routing system having high efficiency switched gratings to form optical time delay and routing networks. This system also includes a unique passive noise suppression device that can be used in multiple channel optical systems such as time shifters and routers to increase channel isolation and reduce crosstalk. The latter noise suppression devices are applicable broadly to the free-space time shifters as well as to other time shifters.
Claims35
An optical time shifter and routing system comprising:
- first switchable diffractive means for receiving a beam of electromagnetic radiation and for selectively directing said beam into at least first and second optical paths;
- second switchable diffractive means interposed within said optical paths for receiving said beam of electromagnetic radiation and selectively directing said beam of electromagnetic radiation following said first optical path into at least third and forth optical paths, and for selectively directing said beam of electromagnetic radiation following said second optical path into at least fifth and sixth optical paths;
- each of said optical paths being of a different predetermined length;
- and
- means operably associated with said first and second means for controlling the path taken by said beam of electromagnetic radiation.
An optical time shifter and routing system comprising:
- a first plurality of switchable diffractive means for receiving a beam of electromagnetic radiation from a first location and directing said beam along a plurality of different optical paths;
- each of said optical paths being of different predetermined lengths;
- said beam of electromagnetic radiation capable of being output from one of a plurality of different second locations;
- a second plurality of switchable diffractive means for receiving said beam of electromagnetic radiation being output from one of said plurality of different second locations and directing said beam along a plurality of different optical paths to a third location;
- and
- means operably associated with said first and second plurality of means for controlling the path taken by said beam of electromagnetic radiation;
- whereby, based on the combination of optical paths through which said beam of electromagnetic radiation passes, the time said beam takes to go between said first and third location is controlled.
An optical time shifter and routing system comprising:
- first means for receiving a beam of electromagnetic radiation from a predetermined location and for selectively directing said beam into at least first, second and third optical paths;
- second means interposed within said optical paths for receiving said beam of electromagnetic radiation and selectively directing said beam of electromagnetic radiation following said first optical path into at least forth, fifth and sixth optical paths, for selectively directing said beam of electromagnetic radiation following said second optical path into at least seventh, eighth and ninth optical paths, and for selectively directing said beam of electromagnetic radiation following said third optical path into at least tenth, eleventh and twelfth optical paths;
- each of said optical paths being of a different predetermined length;
- and
- means operably associated with said first and second means for controlling the path taken by said beam of electromagnetic radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.