Polarization independent grating modulator
First Claim
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1. A controllable diffractive element, comprising:
- a substrate with at least a portion being substantially reflective;
a membrane with with a front surface, a back surface, the membrane including a plurality of first apertures extending from the front to the back surface, at least a portion of the front surface being substantially reflective, wherein the membrane has an X axis and a Y axis defining a membrane plane, the plurality of first apertures being positioned sufficiently symmetrically along the X and Y axes to provide diffraction of the light incident on the membrane and substrate that is selectably independent of a polarization state of the light incident on the membrane and substrate; and
at least one anchor coupling the membrane and the substrate at a first distance in a passive state, wherein in an active state an application of a force to the membrane modifies the first distance and provides a controllable diffraction of light that is incident on the substrate and the membrane.
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Abstract
A fiber-optic modulator based on a micromachined grating device which is both polarization independent and achromatic in behavior is described. The device is a two dimensional grating or periodic structure which is symmetric in the X and Y axes. It is comprised of a membrane with holes cut in it that moves downward with the application of a voltage which starts diffracting light. The hole region may have a raised island to provide achromatic behavior.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A controllable diffractive element, comprising:
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a substrate with at least a portion being substantially reflective;
a membrane with with a front surface, a back surface, the membrane including a plurality of first apertures extending from the front to the back surface, at least a portion of the front surface being substantially reflective, wherein the membrane has an X axis and a Y axis defining a membrane plane, the plurality of first apertures being positioned sufficiently symmetrically along the X and Y axes to provide diffraction of the light incident on the membrane and substrate that is selectably independent of a polarization state of the light incident on the membrane and substrate; and
at least one anchor coupling the membrane and the substrate at a first distance in a passive state, wherein in an active state an application of a force to the membrane modifies the first distance and provides a controllable diffraction of light that is incident on the substrate and the membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A two-dimensional controllable diffractive element, comprising:
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a substrate with at least a portion being substantially reflective;
a plurality of islands coupled to the substrate, at least a portion of the plurality of islands being substantially reflective;
a membrane with a front surface, a back surface, the membrane including a plurality of first apertures extending from the front to the back surface, each of an island corresponding to a first aperture, at least a portion of the front surface being substantially reflective;
at least one anchor coupling the membrane and the substrate at a first distance in a passive state, wherein in an active state an application of a force to the membrane modifies the first distance and provides a controllable diffraction of light that is incident on the substrate and the membrane. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A two-dimensional controllable diffractive element, comprising:
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a substrate with at least a portion being substantially reflective;
a plurality of islands coupled to the substrate, the plurality of islands having a total illuminated surface area of Ai, at least a portion of the plurality of islands being substantially reflective;
a membrane with a front surface, a back surface, the membrane including a plurality of first apertures extending from the front to the back surface, each of an island corresponding to a first aperture, the plurality of first apertures having a total illuminated surface area of Aa, and the membrane having a total illuminated surface area Am, with Am not including Aa, and an illuminated surface area Ad defined as Aa minus Ai, at least a portion of the first surface being substantially reflective; and
at least one anchor coupling the membrane and the substrate at a first distance in a passive state, wherein in an active state an application of a force to the membrane modifies the first distance and provides a controllable diffraction of light that is incident on the substrate and the membrane; and
wherein the magnitudes of the illuminated surface areas Am, Ai, and Ad and the ratios of the areas Am, Ai, and Ad are selected to provide a substantially achromatic diffraction of the diffractive element over a wavelength range of light that illuminates the diffractive element.- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A fiber optic component, comprising:
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an input optical fiber capable of carrying an optical beam, the input optical fiber having an input optical fiber longitudinal axis and an input optical fiber endface;
a lens optically coupled to the input optical fiber, the lens capable of collimating the optical beam from the input optical fiber, the lens having an optical axis and an input focal plane and an output focal plane;
an output optical fiber optically coupled to the lens, the output optical fiber having an output optical fiber longitudinal axis and an output optical fiber endface; and
a controllable diffractive element optically coupled to the lens, the controllable diffractive element capable of controllably reflecting substantially none to substantially all of the optical beam from the input optical fiber through the lens, back through the lens and into the output optical fiber, the controllable diffractive element capable of modifying at least one characteristic of the optical beam, the controllable diffractive element having an at least one reflective surface, wherein the controllable diffractive element comprises a substrate a plurality of islands coupled to the substrate, the plurality of islands having a total illuminated surface area of A1;
a membrane with a front surface, a back surface, the membrane including a plurality of first apertures extending from the front to the back surface, each of an island corresponding to a first aperture, the plurality of first apertures having a total illuminated surface are of A1, and the membrane having a total illuminated surface are Am, with Am not including Aa, and an illuminated surface area Ad defined as Aa minus Ai, and at least one anchor coupling the membrane and the substrate at a first distance in a passive state, wherein in an active state an application of a force to the membrane modifies the first distance and provides a controllable diffraction of light that is incident on the substrate and the membrane, and wherein the magnitudes of the illuminated surface areas Am, Ai, and Ad and the ratios of the areas Am, Ai, and Ad are selected to provide a substantially achromatic diffraction element over a wavelength range of light that illuminates the diffractive element.
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Specification