Tunable liquid microlens
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsTimofei N. Kroupenkine, Shu Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tunable liquid microlens includes an insulating layer, a droplet of a transparent conducting liquid disposed on a first surface of the insulating layer and a plurality of electrodes insulated from the droplet by the insulating layer. The plurality of electrodes are disposed such that they may be selectively biased to create a respective voltage potential between the droplet and each of the plurality of electrodes, whereby a contact angle between the droplet and the first surface is variable and the droplet may be repositioned along the first surface.
Claims29
A tunable liquid microlens, comprising:
- an insulating layer;
- a droplet of a transparent conducting liquid disposed on a first surface of said insulating layer;
- and
- a plurality of electrodes insulated from said droplet by said insulating layer,
- said plurality of electrodes being disposed such that they may be selectively biased to create a respective voltage potential between said droplet and each of said plurality of electrodes,
- whereby a contact angle between said droplet and said first surface is variable and said droplet may be repositioned along said first surface.
A method of tuning a liquid microlens, said liquid microlens including a droplet of a transparent conducting liquid disposed on a first surface of an insulating layer, comprising the steps of:
- selectively biasing a plurality of electrodes insulated from said droplet by said insulating layer to create a respective voltage potential between said droplet and each of said plurality of electrodes.
An apparatus, including:
- a transmitter, said transmitter providing an optical signal;
- a receiver, said receiver receiving said optical signal;
- and
- a tunable liquid microlens disposed to direct said optical signal from said transmitter to said receiver, said tunable liquid microlens comprising:
- an insulating layer;
- a droplet of a transparent conducting liquid disposed on a first surface of said insulating layer;
- and
- a plurality of electrodes insulated from said droplet by said insulating layer,
- said plurality of electrodes being disposed such that they may be selectively biased to create a respective voltage potential between said droplet and each of said plurality of electrodes,
- whereby a contact angle between said droplet and said first surface is variable and said droplet may be repositioned along said first surface,
- whereby a focal length and a lateral position of a focal spot of said microlens are adjusted to direct said optical signal from said transmitter to said receiver.
A method of transmitting an optical signal, comprising the steps of:
- directing said optical signal from a first location towards a liquid microlens, said liquid microlens including a droplet of a transparent conducting liquid disposed on a first surface of an insulating layer;
- and
- tuning said liquid microlens to redirect said optical signal, said tuning step comprising the steps of:
- selectively biasing a plurality of electrodes insulated from said droplet by said insulating layer to create a respective voltage potential between said droplet and each of said plurality of electrodes.
A tunable liquid microlens, comprising:
- means for insulating;
- transparent fluidic conducting means disposed on a first surface of said insulating means;
- and
- means for varying a contact angle between said transparent fluidic conducting means and said first surface and for repositioning said transparent fluidic conducting means along said first surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.