Patent ID: 9715157
Date: 2017-07-25
CPC Classifications: G02B,G02F

Claim:
1. A voltage controlled optical directional coupler, comprising: a first optical hybrid coupler comprising a trunk input; a second optical hybrid coupler coupled with a tap output; and one or more voltage controlled optical elements configured to couple the first optical hybrid coupler to the second optical hybrid coupler, the one or more voltage controlled optical elements having a variable transparency depending on a voltage applied to the one or more voltage controlled optical elements; wherein the voltage controlled optical directional coupler is configured to divert a portion of optical power received to the trunk input to the tap output based on a variable coupling ratio of the voltage controlled optical directional coupler, the variable coupling ratio being dependent on the variable transparency of the one or more voltage controlled optical elements; wherein a first output of the second optical hybrid coupler is coupled to the tap output, a second output of the second hybrid optical coupler is coupled to an optical termination, and the voltage controlled optical directional coupler is configured to pass through to a trunk output of the first hybrid optical coupler a remaining portion of optical power received to the trunk input and not diverted to the tap output.