Method and structure for a slug caterpillar piezoelectric latching reflective optical relay
First Claim
1. A structure for a reflective optical switch, comprising:
- a gas-filled chamber housed within a solid material;
a first one or more optical waveguides coupled to the gas-filled chamber wherein the first one or more optical waveguides are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the gas-filled chamber;
a second one or more optical waveguides coupled to the gas-filled chamber wherein the second one or more optical waveguides are not parallel to the first one or more optical waveguides;
a plurality of piezoelectric elements of 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 piezoelectric elements, said slug operable to move along the longitudinal axis of the gas-filled chamber; and
a liquid metal within the gas-filled chamber, said liquid metal operable to be coupled to the slug wherein the coupling of the liquid metal to the slug and gas-filled chamber is operable to create an optically reflective surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and structure for a reflective optical switch. According to the structure, a chamber is housed within a solid material. A plurality of piezoelectric elements within the chamber are coupled to the solid material. A slug within the chamber is operable to be coupled to one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. A liquid metal within the chamber is coupled to the slug. One or more signals of a first one or more optical waveguides coupled to the chamber are operable to be coupled to a second one or more optical waveguides coupled to the chamber. 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 wetting pads to a second number of wetting pads wherein the first number of wetting pads and the second number of wetting pads are wetted by the liquid metal. The movement of the slug from the first number of wetting pads to the second number of wetting pads breaks a liquid metal surface tension between the slug and the first number of wetting pads and establishes a coupling between the slug and the second number of wetting pads. The movement of the slug and the presence of the liquid metal creates a reflective surface operable to route the one or more signals from the first one or more optical waveguides to the second one or more optical waveguides.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A structure for a reflective optical switch, comprising:
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a gas-filled chamber housed within a solid material;
a first one or more optical waveguides coupled to the gas-filled chamber wherein the first one or more optical waveguides are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the gas-filled chamber;
a second one or more optical waveguides coupled to the gas-filled chamber wherein the second one or more optical waveguides are not parallel to the first one or more optical waveguides;
a plurality of piezoelectric elements of 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 piezoelectric elements, said slug operable to move along the longitudinal axis of the gas-filled chamber; and
a liquid metal within the gas-filled chamber, said liquid metal operable to be coupled to the slug wherein the coupling of the liquid metal to the slug and gas-filled chamber is operable to create an optically reflective surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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24. A structure for a reflective optical switch, comprising:
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a cap layer comprising a channel;
a substrate layer coupled to the cap layer, said substrate layer comprising one or more vias coupled to the channel;
an optical layer coupled to the substrate layer, said optical layer comprising a chamber coupled to the one or more vias wherein the chamber comprises a slug, liquid metal coupled to the slug, and a plurality of wetting pads operable to be coupled to the slug and coupled to the liquid metal;
a piezoelectric layer coupled to the optical layer, said piezoelectric layer comprising a plurality of piezoelectric elements wherein the plurality of piezoelectric elements are operable to contact the slug;
a first one or more optical waveguides coupled to the cap layer, substrate layer and coupled to the chamber; and
a second one or more optical waveguides coupled to the chamber, wherein the second one or more optical waveguides are not parallel to the first one or more optical waveguides, wherein the slug, the liquid metal and the plurality of wetting pads are operable to create a reflective surface that reflects an optical signal from one or more of the first one or more optical waveguides to one or more of the second one or more optical waveguides.
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32. A method for optical switching of one or more optical signals using a liquid metal reflective optical 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 wetting pads to a second number of wetting pads wherein the first number of wetting pads and the second number of wetting pads are wetted by a liquid metal;
the movement of the slug from the first number of wetting pads to the second number of wetting pads breaking a liquid metal surface tension between the slug and the first number of wetting pads and establishing a coupling between the slug and the second number of wetting pads; and
the coupling between the slug and the second number of wetting pads creating a liquid metal reflective surface operable to reflect an optical signal of the one or more optical signals from a first one or more optical waveguides to a second one or more optical waveguides.
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Specification