Optical switch

• US 6,597,828 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wen, Shih-Yi, Lee, Hsiao-Wen, Hu, Chieh, Wei, Li-Ding
• Primary Examiner(s): Palmer, Phan T. H.
• Application Number:
  US10/038,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20030077028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 385/16-24
• US Class Current: 385/18
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3512 the optical element being reflective, e.g. mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3546 NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3572 Magnetic force magnetic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/085; magneto-optic devices G02F1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/358 Latching of the moving element, i.e. maintaining or holding the moving element in place once operation has been performed; includes a mechanically bistable system

Abstract

An optical switch is disclosed. A lock magnetic field is provided on the sides of a rotator with a magnetic surface. The magnetic field has a potential with two minima as reflective and non-reflective positions. At the reflective position, the reflective mirror on the rotator reflects light beams. The beam goes through when the rotator is at the non-reflective position. At the same time, the magnetic field firmly locks the rotator at its position. When a driving force is imposed on the rotator; it rotates from its current position to the other position and gets locked at the new position.

Claims

1. An optical switch for selectively reflecting and passing a light beam, which comprises:

a substrate;

a magnetic object installed on one surface of the substrate for providing a magnetic field;

a rotator pivotally installed on the substrate, has a mirror and a magnetic material on its surface, and, under the interactions with the magnetic field, forms two locking potential wells to lock the rotator at a reflection position for reflecting the beam and a non-reflective position for passing the beam; and

a driving device installed close to one surface of the substrate corresponding to the rotator for providing a driving force to switch the rotator between the two locking potential wells.

2. The optical switch of claim 1, wherein the driving device is a coil imposed with a current to switch the rotator between the reflective position and the non-reflective position.

3. The optical switch of claim 1 further comprising another magnetic object installed on the other surface of the substrate close to the rotator and opposite to the magnetic object so that the two magnetic objects provide the necessary magnetic field.

4. The optical switch of claim 1, wherein the magnetic object is a magnet.

5. The optical switch of claim 1, wherein the magnetic material and the magnetic object are installed on the rotator by pasting.

6. The optical switch of claim 1, wherein the magnetic material and the magnetic object are installed on the rotator by electroplating.

7. The optical switch of claim 1, wherein the magnetic material and the magnetic object are installed on the rotator by spin coating and etching.

8. The optical switch of claim 1, wherein the magnetic material and the magnetic object are installed on the rotator by half-tone printing.

9. An optical switch for selectively reflecting and passing a light beam, which comprises:

a substrate;

a magnetic object installed on one surface of the substrate for providing a magnetic field; and

a rotator pivotally installed on the substrate, has a mirror and a magnetic material on its surface, and, under the interactions with the magnetic field, forms two locking potential wells to lock the rotator at a reflection position for reflecting the beam and a non-reflective position for passing the beam, and provides a driving force for switching between the two positions by itself.

10. The optical switch of claim 9, wherein the rotator is a piezoelectric actuator.

11. The optical switch of claim 9, wherein the rotator is a thermal actuator.

12. The optical switch of claim 9, wherein the rotator is an electrostatic actuator.