Patent ID: 6288822
Filing Date: 2001-09-11
Classification: G02B,G02F,H04Q

Abstract:
A method of switching a light beam between two paths, said method comprising:coupling said light beam into an optical switch comprising first and second sections sharing a common switchably reflective boundary therebetween but differentiated in that the first and second sections either comprise different optically transparent materials or have different thicknesses, one of said sections comprising solid electro-optically active material having an index of refraction that varies when an electric field is applied thereto;propagating said light beam through said first section in a non-guided manner;providing a first potential difference across said electro-optically active material to produce a resultant index of refraction such that said light beam within said first section is transmitted through said boundary into said second section along a first path and propagates in a non-guided manner out of said optical switch;providing a second potential difference across said electro-optically active material to produce a resultant index of refraction such that said light beam within said first section is reflected from said boundary via total internal reflection along a second path, propagates through said first section in a non-guided manner, and propagates out of said optical switch; andwherein at least one of said first and second potential differences produces an electric field parallel to said boundary.