Optical waveguide devices with electro-wetting actuation

• US 20040042721A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mach, Peter, Kroupenkine, Timofei Nikita, Yang, Shu, Rogers, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,829,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/37
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14395 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02052 comprising optical elements other than gratings, e.g. filters comprising gratings G02B6/02057
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/021 characterised by the core or cladding or coating, e.g. materials, radial refractive index profiles, cladding shape
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02195 characterised by means for tuning the grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02385 Comprising liquid, e.g. fluid filled holes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0239 Comprising means for varying the guiding properties, e.g. tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/266 the optical element being an attenuator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3536 involving evanescent coupling variation, e.g. by a moving element such as a membrane which changes the effective refractive index mode converters G02B6/14; adjustable lateral coupling between waveguides G02B6/283; electro- optical refractive index variations G02F1/0118
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3538 based on displacement or deformation of a liquid controlling the intensity of light by displacement or deformation of a fluid in general G02B26/004; fluid-filled lens of variable focal length G02B3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3594 Characterised by additional functional means, e.g. means for variably attenuating or branching or means for switching differently polarized beams

Abstract

A tunable optical waveguide is enclosed in an enclosure containing a controllably moveable region of fluid with a refractive index greater than the optical fiber such that at least a first. transmission property of the waveguide is modified when the region of fluid is moved. In a first embodiment, the optical device comprises a Bragg grating that is tuned by moving the fluid over the grating to vary the amplitude of desired wavelengths that are reflected back through the core of the fiber. In a second embodiment, the optical device comprises a long-period grating that is tuned by moving the fluid over the grating to vary the amplitude of desired wavelengths that are transferred into the cladding of the fiber and, as a result, to decrease the amplitude of those desired wavelengths that are transmitted through the core of the fiber.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an optical fiber having a core with a first refractive index; and

an enclosure containing a region of fluid with a second refractive index surrounding a segment of the optical fiber;

wherein said region of fluid is controllably movable within said enclosure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a first portion of said fiber is cladded and a second portion of said fiber is uncladded.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said second portion comprises a grating.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said fluid is movable from said first portion of said fiber to said second portion of said fiber.

5. A method for modifying at least a first transmission property of an optical fiber, wherein at least one segment of said length of optical fiber is enclosed within an enclosure, said method comprising:

controllably moving a region of fluid within said enclosure in a way such that it covers at least a portion of said segment of optical fiber.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said at least a first transmission property is the effective refractive index.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein a first portion of said segment of said optical fiber is cladded and a second portion of said segment of said optical fiber is uncladded.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said region of fluid moves in a way such that it at least partially overlaps said second portion of said segment of said optical fiber.

9. Apparatus comprising:

an optical waveguide;

an enclosure surrounding a portion of said optical waveguide;

wherein at least one property of the optical waveguide is modifiable by controllably moving a region of fluid within said enclosure.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said optical waveguide is an optical fiber.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said optical waveguide is a planar waveguide.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said portion of said optical waveguide further comprises a first section that is cladded and a second section that is uncladded.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said at least one property is the effective refractive index.

14. Apparatus comprising:

a waveguide having a core with a first refractive index and a cladding with a second refractive index at least partially surrounding the core; and

a fluid with a third refractive index disposed on at least a first portion of said waveguide;

wherein said fluid is controllably movable relative to said waveguide to modify at least one property of at least a first portion of the waveguide.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said waveguide comprises a planar waveguide.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said waveguide comprises an optical fiber.