Tilt-able grating plane for improved crosstalk in 1×N blaze switches
First Claim
1. A light modulator comprising:
- a) a plurality of elongated elements, wherein each elongated element includes a light reflective planar surface with the light reflective planar surfaces configured in a first grating plane; and
b) a support structure coupled to the elongated elements to maintain a position of the elongated elements relative to each other and to enable movement of each elongated element between a first modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements act to reflect incident light, and a second modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements are configured into a plurality of stepped blaze elements such that each blaze element comprises a plurality of adjacent stepped elongated elements, and each of the blaze elements are stepped relative to the other blaze elements along a second grating plane lying at a tilted grating angle to the first grating plane and act to diffract the incident light into at least two diffraction orders.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A light modulator includes elongated elements arranged parallel to each other. Each elongated element includes a light reflective planar surface with the light reflective planar surfaces configured in a first grating plane. A support structure is coupled to the elongated elements to maintain a position of the elongated elements relative to each other and to enable movement of each elongated element in a direction normal to the first grating plane. The support structure enables movement between a first modulator configuration and a second modulator configuration. In the first modulator configuration, the elongated elements act to reflect an incident light as a plane mirror. In the second modulator configuration, the elongated elements form a stepped blaze configuration along a second grating plane lying at a grating angle to the first grating plane and act to diffract the incident light into at least two diffraction orders.
779 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A light modulator comprising:
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a) a plurality of elongated elements, wherein each elongated element includes a light reflective planar surface with the light reflective planar surfaces configured in a first grating plane; and
b) a support structure coupled to the elongated elements to maintain a position of the elongated elements relative to each other and to enable movement of each elongated element between a first modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements act to reflect incident light, and a second modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements are configured into a plurality of stepped blaze elements such that each blaze element comprises a plurality of adjacent stepped elongated elements, and each of the blaze elements are stepped relative to the other blaze elements along a second grating plane lying at a tilted grating angle to the first grating plane and act to diffract the incident light into at least two diffraction orders. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of modulating light comprising:
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a) supporting a plurality of elongated elements, each element includes a light reflective planar surface with the light reflective planar surfaces configured in a grating plane; and
b) configuring the plurality of elongated elements between a first modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements act to reflect an incident light, and a second modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements are configured into a plurality of stepped blaze elements such that each blaze element comprises a plurality of adjacent stepped elongated elements, and each of the blaze elements are stepped relative to the other blaze elements along a second grating plane lying at a tilted grating angle to the first grating plane and act to diffract the incident light into at least two diffraction orders. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A light modulator comprising:
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a) means for supporting a plurality of elongated elements, each element includes a light reflective planar surface with the light reflective planar surfaces configured in a grating plane; and
b) means for configuring the plurality of elongated elements between a first modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements act to reflect an incident light, and a second modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements are configured into a plurality of stepped blaze elements such that each blaze element comprises a plurality of adjacent stepped elongated elements, and each of the blaze elements are stepped relative to the other blaze elements along a second grating plane lying at a tilted grating angle to the first grating plane and act to diffract the incident light into at least two diffraction orders.
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Specification