Liquid crystal adaptive coupler for steering a light beam relative to a light-receiving end of an optical waveguide
First Claim
1. An apparatus for optically coupling a light source with a light-receiving end face of an output optical waveguide along an optical path, the apparatus comprising:
- a lens positioned in the optical path for focusing a light beam emitted from the light source at a focal point on the light-receiving end face of the output optical waveguide; and
an adaptive coupler positioned in the optical path, the adaptive coupler being responsive to a beam steering control signal for steering the focal point relative to the light-receiving end face of the output optical waveguide to align the focal point with said light-receiving end face.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for optically coupling a light source with a light-receiving end face of an optical waveguide comprises a lens for focusing a light beam emitted from the light source at a focal point on the light-receiving end face of the optical waveguide. An adaptive coupler, positioned in the optical path, is responsive to a beam steering control signal for steering and aligning the focal point relative to the light-receiving end face of the optical waveguide. In one form, the adaptive coupler comprises a pair of transparent substrates having confronting, parallel inner faces, the inner face of one of the pair of substrates carrying a beam intercepting, optically transparent, constant potential electrode and the inner face of the other of the pair of substrates carrying an electrically resistive, beam intercepting, optically transparent film. A pair of spaced apart electrodes in electrical contact with the film apply a linear voltage gradient along the film. An electro-optical phase shifting medium is disposed between the confronting inner faces of the substrates. The application of selected voltages to the electrodes creates a linear voltage gradient along the aforementioned film on the inner face of the one substrate resulting in a linearly varying electric field between that film and the constant potential electrode creating a corresponding linear variation in the refractive index of the liquid crystal medium and a linear wavefront tilt in the intercepting optical beam.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. An apparatus for optically coupling a light source with a light-receiving end face of an output optical waveguide along an optical path, the apparatus comprising:
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a lens positioned in the optical path for focusing a light beam emitted from the light source at a focal point on the light-receiving end face of the output optical waveguide; and
an adaptive coupler positioned in the optical path, the adaptive coupler being responsive to a beam steering control signal for steering the focal point relative to the light-receiving end face of the output optical waveguide to align the focal point with said light-receiving end face. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An adaptive coupler for steering an optical beam, the adaptive coupler comprising:
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a pair of transparent substrates having confronting, parallel inner faces, the inner face of one of the pair of substrates carrying a beam intercepting, optically transparent, constant potential electrode and the inner face of the other of the pair of substrates carrying an electrically resistive, beam intercepting, optically transparent film;
a pair of spaced apart electrodes in electrical contact with said film for applying a potential gradient along said film; and
an electro-optical phase shifting medium disposed between the confronting inner faces of said pair of substrates. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An adaptive coupler for steering an optical beam, the adaptive coupler comprising:
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a first substrate having a flat surface carrying a first, beam intercepting, optically transparent film of material having an electrical resistivity;
spaced apart electrodes in contact with said first film for applying a potential gradient across said first transparent film;
a second substrate having a flat surface, the flat surface of said second substrate confronting the flat surface of said first substrate and disposed parallel thereto, said flat surface of said second substrate carrying a second beam intercepting, optically transparent film comprising a constant potential electrode; and
a dual frequency liquid crystal phase shifting medium disposed between said films on said confronting flat surfaces of said first and second substrates. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An optical switch for optically coupling the light-emitting end of a selected one of a plurality of input optical waveguides with the light-receiving end of a selected one of a plurality of output optical waveguides, the optical switch comprising:
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a switch array for selectively deflecting a light beam from the light-emitting end of the selected one of said plurality of input optical waveguides to the light-receiving end of the selected one of said plurality of output optical waveguides;
a lens for focusing said light at a focal point on the light-receiving end of the selected one of said plurality of output optical waveguides; and
an adaptive coupler for steering said focal point relative to said light-receiving end of said selected one of said plurality of output optical waveguides to align said focal point with said light-receiving end. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An optical fiber coupling comprising:
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a first array of optical fibers, each of the optical fibers of the first optical fiber array having a light-emitting end face;
a second array of optical fibers, each of the optical fibers of the second optical fiber array having a light-receiving end face;
a light deflector means responsive to control signals for directing a beam of light emitted from the light-emitting end face of a selected one of the optical fibers of the first optical fiber array along an optical path to the light-receiving end face of a selected one of the optical fibers of the second optical fiber array;
an array of lenses disposed between the light-emitting end faces of the first optical fiber array and the light-receiving end faces of the second optical fiber array, each lens of the lens array being associated with the light-receiving end face of one of the optical fibers of the second optical fiber array for focusing a beam of light emitted from a selected one of the optical fibers of the first optical fiber array at a focal point on the light-receiving end face of a selected one of the optical fibers of the second optical fiber array; and
an array of adaptive couplers disposed between the light-emitting end faces of the first optical fiber array and the light-receiving end faces of the second optical fiber array, each of the adaptive couplers of the adaptive coupler array being responsive to a beam steering control signal for steering a corresponding focal point of a beam of light emitted from a selected one of the optical fibers of the first optical fiber array relative to the light-receiving end face of a selected one of the optical fibers of the second optical fiber array to align said focal point with said light receiving end face. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An optical fiber coupling comprising:
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an array of input optical fibers, each of the optical fibers of the input optical fiber array having a light-emitting end face;
an output optical fiber having a light-receiving end face;
light deflector means responsive to control signals for directing a beam of light emitted from the light-emitting end face of a selected one of the input optical fibers along an optical path to the light-receiving end face of the output optical fiber;
a lens, disposed between the light-emitting end face of each of input optical fibers and the light-receiving end face of the output optical fiber, for focusing a beam of light emitted from a selected one of the input optical fibers at a focal point on the light-receiving end face of the output optical fiber; and
an adaptive coupler disposed between the light-emitting end face of each of the input optical fibers and the light-receiving end face of the output optical fiber, the adaptive coupler being responsive to a beam steering control signal for steering the focal point of a beam of light emitted from the selected one of the input optical fibers relative to the light-receiving end face of the output optical fiber to align said focal point with said light-receiving end face. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. An optical fiber coupling comprising:
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an input optical fiber having a light-emitting end face;
an array of output optical fibers, each of the output optical fibers having a light-receiving end face;
light deflector means responsive to control signals for directing a beam of light emitted from the light-emitting end face of the input optical fiber along an optical path to the light-receiving end face of a selected one of the output optical fibers;
a lens, disposed between the light-emitting end face of the input optical fiber and the light-receiving end face of each of the output optical fibers, for focusing a beam of light emitted from the light-emitting end face of the input optical fiber at a focal point on the light-receiving end face of a selected one of the output optical fibers; and
an adaptive coupler disposed between the light-emitting end face of the input optical fiber and the light-receiving end face of each of the output optical fibers, the adaptive coupler being responsive to a beam steering control signal for steering the focal point of a beam of light emitted from the input optical fiber relative to the light-receiving end face of a selected one of the output optical fibers to align said focal point with said light receiving end face. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification