Fiber-coupled optical attenuator
AssigneeJDS Uniphase Corporation
InventorsBrian Lee Heffner, Long Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical attenuator has a planar MEMS substrate supporting two optical fibers; an actuator; and a silicon vane actuatable by said actuator for a movement into and out of the optical beam passed between the fibers. The vane is configured to divert at least a portion of the optical beam off the optical axis when the element is moved into the optical beam. The vane has at least one surface disposed non-perpendicularly relative to the optical axis of the beam. The vane may be of a wedged shape.
Claims8
A variable optical attenuator for optically attenuating an optical beam passing from one optical fiber end to another optical fiber end along an optical axis, the fiber ends spaced from each other by a gap, the gap being less than a diameter of one of the optical fibers, the attenuator comprising
- a substrate supporting the optical fiber ends,
- an actuator, and
- a transparent or translucent light-diverting element associated with and actuatable by said actuator for a movement into and out of the optical beam in the gap, wherein the element is configured to divert at least a portion of the optical beam off the optical axis when the element is moved into the optical beam.
An optical attenuator for optically attenuating an optical beam passing from one optical fiber end to another optical fiber end along an optical axis, the fiber ends spaced from each other by a gap, the attenuator comprising
- a substrate supporting the optical fiber ends,
- an actuator, and
- a transparent or translucent light-diverting element associated with and actuatable by said actuator for a movement into and out of the optical beam in the gap, wherein the element is configured to divert at least a portion of the optical beam off the optical axis when the element is moved into the optical beam,
- wherein the actuator is a thermal arched beam actuator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.