# US 6,741,768 B2 · Optical switch

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- Number: US 6,741,768 B2
- Document ID: US6741768B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/152,691
- Filed: 2002-05-23
- Published: 2002-12-19
- Granted: 2004-05-25
- Earliest claimed: 2000-10-13
- Assignees: Comptic, Inc.
- Inventors: William H. Culver; Donald Cronin Schmadel, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6741768B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/3516: {the reflective optical element moving along the beam path, e.g. controllable diffractive effects using multiple micromirrors within the beam}
- G02B 26/06: for controlling the phase of light (G02B26/08 takes precedence {, measuring optical phase difference G01J9/00})
- G02B 26/0833: {the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD (G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B)}
- G02B 27/0087: {Phased arrays}
- H04Q 11/0005: {Switch and router aspects}
- G02B 6/3556: {NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation}
- G02B 6/3582: {Housing means or package or arranging details of the switching elements, e.g. for thermal isolation}
- H04Q 2011/0024: {using space switching}
- H04Q 2011/0026: {using free space propagation (e.g. lenses, mirrors)}
- H04Q 2011/0039: {Electrical control}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)

## Abstract

The present invention is a system that includes phase spatial light modulators as optical switching elements in an optical switching system. One or more input light beams are deflected by one or more input optical deflectors to a mirror and then to one or more output optical deflectors. Each deflector is a phase spatial modulator which changes the direction of the light beam by changing the phase of the beam wave front. The wave front is two dimensionally subdivided into pixels and pixel reflectors are used displace portions of the wave front in a direction generally perpendicular to the beam axis and relative to each other. Beam splitters, lenses, decoders and controllers provide the ability to cross connect or reroute beams and route packets.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
an optical switch having a single light steering device capable of changing a direction of a light beam in two dimensions by changing a phase of an optical wave front of the beam.

### Claim 2

An apparatus, comprising:
an optical switch independently steering multiple light beams by changing a phase of an optical wave front of the beams.

### Claim 3

An apparatus, comprising:
an optical switch having a single light steering device capable of independently steering multiple light beams in two dimensions by changing a phase of an optical wave front of the beams.

### Claim 4

An apparatus, comprising:
a two-dimensional spatial light phase modulator comprising an array of independently controllable phase modulating elements capable of being controlled to deflect separate light beams in different directions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the two-dimensional spatial light phase modulator comprises an array of independently controllable phase modulating elements dividable into sub-arrays of elements, allowing each of the sub-arrays to be controlled to deflect separate light beams in different directions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein a set of phase modulating elements comprising any of the sub-arrays may be selected and controlled electronically by directing the electronic signals to each individual phase modulating element.