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US 7,746,532 B2Granted
Electro-optical switching system and method
AssigneeVirgin Island Microsystems, Inc.
InventorJonathan Gorrell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an optical switch, a set of coherent electromagnetic radiation is selectively delayed and recombined to produce constructively or destructively combined radiation. When the radiation is constructively combined, a signal is transmitted out of the switch to a remote receiver. When the radiation is destructively combined, a signal is not transmitted out of the switch to a remote receiver.
Claims10
A switched optical source comprising:
- a source of charged particles;
- a data input for receiving data to be transmitted;
- a resonant structure configured to be excited by charged particles emitted from the source of charged particles and configured to emit coherent electromagnetic radiation at a predominant frequency representing the data to be transmitted, wherein the predominant frequency has a frequency higher than that of a microwave frequency;
- a splitter for dividing the electromagnetic radiation into first and second channels;
- a delay element controlled by the data received via the data input for selectively delaying the coherent electromagnetic radiation associated with the first channel;
- and
- a combiner for combining the coherent electromagnetic radiation associated with the second channel with the coherent electromagnetic radiation selectively delayed by the delay element.
4 more elements
A switched optical source comprising:
- a data input for receiving data to be transmitted;
- a series of alternating electric fields along an intended path;
- a pre-bunching element;
- a source of charged particles configured to transmit charged particles along an oscillating trajectory through the pre-bunching element and through the series of alternating electric fields, wherein the oscillating trajectory has a wavelength close to that of coherent radiation emitted from the charged particles during oscillation and wherein the coherent radiation emitted from the charged particles undergoes constructive interference;
- a splitter for dividing the coherent electromagnetic radiation into first and second channels;
- a delay element controlled by the data received via the data input for selectively delaying the coherent electromagnetic radiation associated with the first channel;
- and
- a combiner for combining the coherent electromagnetic radiation associated with the second channel with the coherent electromagnetic radiation selectively delayed by the delay element.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.