Thermally actuated spectroscopic optical switch
AssigneeSouthwest Research Institute
InventorsJoseph Nathan Mitchell, Martin Peter Wüest
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermally actuated spectroscopic optical switch including reflective surfaces which are selectively moved into a position intersecting a beam of light by applying electrical or heat energy to a selected composite cantilever beam on which the reflective surface is mounted.
Claims22
A system for directing a selected light beam to at least one light beam receptor, said system comprising:
- an array of stationary optical fibers, each one of said stationary optical fibers constructed and arranged to conduct one of a plurality of light beams including the selected light beam;
- an optical switch fabricated on a substrate, the switch having an array of movable reflective surfaces, and having a single thermal actuator associated with each reflective surface, each thermal actuator comprising a cantilevered arm having a fixed end attached to the substrate and a free end to which the reflective surface is attached, the arm being made from a material having a thermal expansion property, the arm having a top surface and a bottom surface with a layer of material having a different thermal expansion property on a portion of at least one of these surfaces, and the cantilevered arm having an air gap between its top and bottom surfaces;
- a lens at the end of each optical fiber, operable to direct the light beams to the switch or to collect light from the switch;
- wherein each reflective surface is attached such that it is substantially perpendicular to the substrate;
- and
- wherein the optical fibers are arranged around the perimeter of the substrate, such that each reflective surface is moveable into the path of one or more of the optical fibers.
A thermally operated optical switch for use in directing a beam of light to at least one receptor, said thermally operated optical switch comprising:
- a substrate;
- an array of reflective surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of cantilever thermal actuators, each cantilever actuator having a fixed end affixed to the substrate and having a free end to which an associated reflective surface is attached such that each reflective surface has a single associated actuator, and wherein each actuator has a cantilevered arm made from a material having first thermal expansion property, each arm having an upper surface and a lower surface and having a layer of material having a second thermal expansion property on a portion of both of these surfaces;
- wherein each reflective surface is attached such that it is substantially perpendicular to the substrate.
A thermally operated optical switch for use in directing a beam of light to at least one receptor, said thermally operated optical switch comprising:
- a substrate;
- an array of reflective surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of cantilever actuators, each actuator having a pair of arms, each arm of the pair having a fixed end affixed to the substrate, and the arms of each pair having a common free end to which an associated reflective surface is rigidly attached, such that each reflective surface.has a single associated actuator;
- wherein each reflective surface is attached such that it is parallel to the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.