Dynamic gain equalizer
AssigneeCitizen Watch Co., Ltd.
InventorMasafumi Ide
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dynamic gain equalizer (1) comprises a spectroscope (4) for separating a light entering from an incoming end, a liquid crystal optical switch (5) for receiving spectral components separated by the spectroscope (4), and a lens system (3) arranged between the incoming end and the spectroscope (4) and/or between the spectroscope (4) and the liquid crystal optical switch (5). The liquid crystal optical switch (5) changes the light intensities of incoming spectral components for each wavelength and sends them out. The dynamic gain equalizer selectively controls the spectral components of specific wavelengths and equalizes the light intensities for the wavelengths without using a mechanical moving part such as a MEMS.
Claims11
A dynamic gain equalizer comprising:
- a spectroscope that separates an incoming light into spectral components;
- a liquid crystal optical switch that receives the spectral components separated by said spectroscope;
- and
- a lens system arranged between an incoming end and said spectroscope and/or between said spectroscope and said liquid crystal optical switch,
- wherein said liquid crystal optical switch comprises a polarizing beam splitter that splits the received spectral components into two linearly polarized optical components that propagate in different paths, the different paths being at a right angle to each other;
- and at least one reflective type liquid crystal cell that controls the linearly polarized optical components split by said polarizing beam splitter and thereby changes light intensities of the received spectral components for each wavelength and sends them out for selectively changing the light intensities of specific wavelengths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.