METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR A SOLID SLUG CATERPILLAR PIEZOELECTRIC OPTICAL RELAY
First Claim
1. A structure for an optical switch, comprising:
- a gas-filled chamber housed within a solid material;
one or more optical waveguides coupled to the gas-filled chamber;
a plurality of piezoelectric elements within the gas-filled chamber, coupled to the solid material;
a slug within the gas-filled chamber coupled to one or more of the plurality of contacts and further coupled to one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements, said slug operable to block or unblock one or more optical waveguides; and
a liquid metal coupled to the slug, and coupled to the plurality of contacts.
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Abstract
A method and structure for an optical switch. According to the structure of the present invention, a gas-filled chamber is housed within a solid material. A plurality of contacts within the gas-filled chamber are coupled to the solid material, while a plurality of piezoelectric elements within the gas-filled chamber are also coupled to the solid material. A slug within the gas-filled chamber is coupled to one or more of the plurality of contacts and further coupled to one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. A liquid metal within the gas-filled chamber is coupled to the slug, and coupled to the plurality of contacts. According to the method, one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements are actuated, with the actuation of the one or more piezoelectric elements causing the slug coupled to the one or more piezoelectric elements to move from a first number of contacts to a second number of contacts wherein the first number of contacts and the second number of contacts are wetted by the liquid metal. The movement of the slug from the first number of contacts to the second number of contacts breaks a liquid metal surface tension between the slug and the first number of contacts and establishes a coupling between the slug and the second number of contacts, thereby enabling the liquid metal switch to change from a first state to a second state.
75 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A structure for an optical switch, comprising:
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a gas-filled chamber housed within a solid material;
one or more optical waveguides coupled to the gas-filled chamber;
a plurality of piezoelectric elements within the gas-filled chamber, coupled to the solid material;
a slug within the gas-filled chamber coupled to one or more of the plurality of contacts and further coupled to one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements, said slug operable to block or unblock one or more optical waveguides; and
a liquid metal coupled to the slug, and coupled to the plurality of contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A structure for an optical switch using a plurality of piezoelectric elements, comprising:
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a cap layer;
a piezoelectric layer coupled to the cap layer;
one or more optical waveguides coupled to the piezoelectric layer;
a circuit substrate layer coupled to the piezoelectric layer; and
a gas-filled chamber coupled to one or more of the piezoelectric layer, one or more optical waveguides, cap layer and circuit substrate layer, wherein the gas-filled chamber further comprises the plurality of piezoelectric elements, a plurality of contacts, a slug coupled to one or more of the plurality of contacts and coupled to one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a liquid metal coupled to the slug, and coupled to the plurality of contacts. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for optical switching of one or more optical signals using a liquid metal switch, comprising:
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actuating one or more of a plurality of piezoelectric elements;
the actuation of the one or more piezoelectric elements causing a slug coupled to the one or more piezoelectric elements to move from a first number of contacts to a second number of contacts wherein the first number of contacts and the second number of contacts are wetted by a liquid metal; and
the movement of the slug from the first number of contacts to the second number of contacts breaking a liquid metal surface tension between the slug and the, first number of contacts and establishing a coupling between the slug and the second number of contacts, thereby enabling the liquid metal switch to change from a first state to a second state by the blocking or unblocking of one or more optical waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification