Patent ID: 6738176
Filing Date: 2004-05-18
Classification: F24S,G02B,H04Q,Y02E

Abstract:
An electromagnetic radiation signal switch comprising:(a) a plurality of radiation input ports for receiving a plurality of radiation input signals, and a plurality of radiation output ports for collecting a plurality of output radiation signals; (b) a first sheet made of substantially transparent material, and a second sheet which is disposed substantially parallel to said first sheet; (c) a monolayer of rotatable elements, each of which comprises an embedded reflector, and an embedded electric dipole in said element; (d) wherein each said reflector is disposed in a cellular structure positioned between said first and second sheets; (e) wherein each said reflector is individually and independently rotatable about at least one of two orthogonal axes; (f) wherein a transparent ground-plane electrode layer is provided on a surface of said first sheet, and a resistive electrical grid layer is provided on a surface of said second sheet to cooperatively produce an arrangement of temporally and spatially varying electric fields for orienting said bipolar reflectors about each of the aforesaid two axes; and (g) said rotatable reflectors substantially reflecting at least a portion of said optical inputs.