Chirped optical MEM device
First Claim
1. A light modulator comprising a plurality of ribbons separated by a plurality of gaps, wherein the plurality of ribbons and gaps are grouped into a plurality of pixels in a linear order in the light modulator including a first end pixel and a second end pixel, wherein the plurality of pixels are disposed in succession between the first end pixel and the second end pixel, further wherein a pixel-center separation distance between adjacent pixels is progressively increased as the linear order is transversed from the first end pixel to the second end pixel, the pixel-center separation distance comprising a distance from a center line of a first pixel to a center line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A light modulator comprises a series of ribbons divided by a series of gaps. Sequences of consecutive ribbons and gaps are grouped together to form a plurality of pixels that are configured to process a respective plurality of wavelengths. The spacing from center-line to center-line of adjacent pixels is progressively increased from a reference pixel to align component pixels with their assigned wavelengths. The widths of ribbons and gaps within a particular pixel affect the polarization dependent loss of a pixel, and affect the first order diffraction angle. Ribbon widths and gap widths within successive pixels are altered to normalize polarization dependent loss and first order diffraction angles against the values associated with a reference pixel.
779 Citations
29 Claims
- 1. A light modulator comprising a plurality of ribbons separated by a plurality of gaps, wherein the plurality of ribbons and gaps are grouped into a plurality of pixels in a linear order in the light modulator including a first end pixel and a second end pixel, wherein the plurality of pixels are disposed in succession between the first end pixel and the second end pixel, further wherein a pixel-center separation distance between adjacent pixels is progressively increased as the linear order is transversed from the first end pixel to the second end pixel, the pixel-center separation distance comprising a distance from a center line of a first pixel to a center line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel.
- 18. A method of aligning a plurality of incident wavelengths with a plurality of pixels in a linear order in a light modulator, the method comprising the step of aligning a center line of each of the plurality of pixels in the linear order to conform to a center line of an intensity distribution of a corresponding one of the plurality of incident wavelengths, wherein a pixel-center separation distance between adjacent pixels is increased with increasing incident wavelength, the pixel-center separation distance comprising a distance from a center line of a first pixel to a center line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel.
- 22. A method of aligning a plurality of incident wavelengths with a plurality of pixels in a light modulator, the method comprising the step of aligning a center line of each of the plurality of pixels to conform to a center line intensity of a corresponding one of the plurality of incident wavelengths, wherein a pixel-center separation distance between adjacent pixels is increased with increasing incident wavelength, the pixel-center separation distance comprising a distance from a center line of a first pixel to a center line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel, further comprising the step of normalizing polarization dependent loss among the plurality of pixels according to a reference pixel within the plurality of pixels, wherein the step of normalizing polarization dependent loss comprises the step of adjusting select parameters in a first pixel according to the wavelength assigned to the first pixel such that the polarization dependent loss exhibited by the first pixel is substantially equal to the polarization dependent loss exhibited by the reference pixel.
- 24. A method of normalizing polarization dependent loss among a plurality of pixels in a light modulator against a reference pixel, wherein the plurality of pixels are configured to process a plurality of wavelengths, the method comprising the step of adjusting select parameters in a first pixel according to the wavelength assigned to the first pixel such that the polarization dependent loss exhibited by the first pixel is substantially equal to the polarization dependent loss exhibited by the reference pixel.
- 27. A method of normalizing the first order diffraction angles among a plurality of pixels in a light modulator against a reference pixel, wherein the plurality of pixels are configured to process a plurality of wavelengths, the method comprising the step of adjusting select parameters in a first pixel according to the wavelength assigned to the first pixel such that the first order diffraction angle exhibited by the first pixel is substantially equal to the first order diffraction angle exhibited by the reference pixel.
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29. A light modulator comprising:
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a. means for directing each of a plurality of wavelengths onto a corresponding pixel among a plurality of pixels in a linear order within a light modulator; and
b. means for aligning a center line of each of the plurality of pixels to conform to a center line of an intensity distribution of a corresponding one of the plurality of incident wavelengths, wherein a pixel-center separation distance between adjacent pixels is increased with increasing incident wavelength, the pixel-center separation distance comprising a distance from a center line of a first pixel to a center line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel.
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Specification