Dynamic multi-wavelength switching ensemble
First Claim
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1. An electromagnetic radiation signal switch comprising:
- (a) a plurality of radiation input ports for receiving a plurality of radiation input signals, and a plurality of radiation output ports for collecting a plurality of output radiation signals;
(b) a first sheet made of substantially transparent material, and a second sheet which is disposed substantially parallel to said first sheet;
(c) a monolayer of rotatable elements, each of which comprises an embedded reflector, and an embedded electric dipole in said element;
(d) wherein each said reflector is disposed in a cellular structure positioned between said first and second sheets;
(e) wherein each said reflector is individually and independently rotatable about at least one of two orthogonal axes;
(f) wherein a transparent ground-plane electrode layer is provided on a surface of said first sheet, and a resistive electrical grid layer is provided on a surface of said second sheet to cooperatively produce an arrangement of temporally and spatially varying electric fields for orienting said bipolar reflectors about each of the aforesaid two axes; and
(g) said rotatable reflectors substantially reflecting at least a portion of said optical inputs.
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Abstract
This invention deals with a novel general concept for a multi-wavelength switching ensemble which is controlled electrically, electromagetically, or magnetically. A switching system is presented that permits the input to control the output. It allows a full 180 degree rotation of the beam which greatly exceeds the rotational capability of conventional systems. Furthermore, the instant invention permits less costly and greater ease of manufacture.
115 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electromagnetic radiation signal switch comprising:
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(a) a plurality of radiation input ports for receiving a plurality of radiation input signals, and a plurality of radiation output ports for collecting a plurality of output radiation signals;
(b) a first sheet made of substantially transparent material, and a second sheet which is disposed substantially parallel to said first sheet;
(c) a monolayer of rotatable elements, each of which comprises an embedded reflector, and an embedded electric dipole in said element;
(d) wherein each said reflector is disposed in a cellular structure positioned between said first and second sheets;
(e) wherein each said reflector is individually and independently rotatable about at least one of two orthogonal axes;
(f) wherein a transparent ground-plane electrode layer is provided on a surface of said first sheet, and a resistive electrical grid layer is provided on a surface of said second sheet to cooperatively produce an arrangement of temporally and spatially varying electric fields for orienting said bipolar reflectors about each of the aforesaid two axes; and
(g) said rotatable reflectors substantially reflecting at least a portion of said optical inputs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An electromagnetic radiation signal switch comprising:
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(a) a plurality of radiation input ports for receiving a plurality of radiation input signals, and a plurality of radiation output ports for collecting a plurality of output radiation signals;
(b) a first sheet made of substantially transparent material, and a second sheet which is disposed substantially parallel to said first sheet;
(c) a monolayer of rotatable elements, each of which comprises an embedded reflector, and an embedded magnetic dipole in said element;
(d) wherein each said reflector is disposed in a cellular structure positioned between said first and second sheets;
(e) wherein each said reflector is individually and independently rotatable about at least one of two orthogonal axes;
(f) wherein a transparent segmented ground-plane electrode layer is provided on a surface of said first sheet, and a resistive electrical segmented grid layer is provided on a surface of said second sheet to cooperatively produce an arrangement of temporally and spatially varying magnetic fields for orienting said bipolar reflectors about each of the aforesaid two axes; and
(g) said rotatable reflectors substantially reflecting at least a portion of said optical inputs. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. An optical switch comprising:
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a) a plurality of ports for transmitting and receiving an optical signal;
(b) a first sheet made of substantially transparent material, and a second sheet which is disposed substantially parallel to said first sheet;
(c) a monolayer of rotatable reflectors, each of which includes embedded dipole;
(d) wherein each said reflector is disposed in a cellular structure positioned between said first and second sheets;
(e) wherein each said reflector is individually and independently rotatable about at least one of two orthogonal axes;
(f) wherein a transparent segmented ground-plane electrode layer is provided on a surface of said first sheet, and a resistive segmented electrical grid layer is provided on a surface of said second sheet to cooperatively produce an arrangement of temporally and spatially varying fields for orienting said reflectors about each of the aforesaid two axes;
g) a first rotatable reflector for receiving the optical signal from at least one of the plurality of ports and for substantially reflecting at least a portion of the optical signal to another of the plurality of ports; and
h) a second rotatable reflector selectably positionable between at least one of the plurality of ports and said first rotatable reflector, for selectably redirecting the optical signal from one of the plurality of ports to another of the plurality of ports said second rotatable reflector selectably repositionable to a first selectable position out of an optical path of the optical signal and at a second selectable position in the optical path of the optical signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method of switching electromagnetic radiation signals by an array of reflectors, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of radiation input ports for receiving a plurality of radiation input signals, and a plurality of radiation output ports for collecting a plurality of output radiation signals;
(b) providing a first sheet made of substantially transparent material, and a second sheet which is disposed substantially parallel to said first sheet;
(c) providing a monolayer of cells, each of which comprises an embedded reflector, and having a magnetic multipole coupling means embedded in said element;
(d) providing each said reflector in a cellular structure positioned between said first and second sheets;
(e) providing each said reflector to be individually and independently rotatable about at least one of two orthogonal axes disposed in the plane of said sheets;
(f) providing a transparent ground-plane segmented electrode layer on a surface of said first sheet, and a resistive segmented electrical grid layer on a surface of said second sheet to cooperatively produce an arrangement of temporally and spatially varying magnetic fields for coupling to the magnetic multipoles and orienting said reflectors about each of the aforesaid two orthogonal axes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 21)
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19. A method for configuring a signal path in an optical switching device that enables selective connection of optical signals received from a plurality of of reflectors, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of input ports for receiving a plurality of optical input signals, and a plurality of optical output ports for collecting a plurality of output optical signals;
(b) providing a first sheet made of substantially transparent material, and a second sheet which is disposed substantially parallel to said first sheet;
(c) providing a monolayer of cells, each of which comprises an embedded reflector, and having an electric multipole embedded in said element;
(d) providing each said reflector in a cellular structure positioned between said first and second sheets;
(e) providing a transparent ground-plane electrode layer on a surface of said first sheet, and a resistive electrical grid layer on a surface of said second sheet to cooperatively produce an arrangement of temporally and spatially varying electric fields for coupling to the electric multipoles and orienting said reflectors about an independent combination of two axes (f) rotating each said reflector individually and independently about at least one of the aforesaid two axes disposed in the plane of said sheets. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification