Patent ID: 6229934
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: G02B,G02F

Abstract:
An optical crossbar switch or modulator device comprising:a combination collimating lens and reflector selected to collimate light entering from fiber-optic cables at an input end and refocus it on fiber optic cables located at conjugate points at said input end;a voltage-controlled electro-optic phase retarder in optical contact with said input end of said collimator/reflector combination comprised of an electro-optic layer further having on one side first and second transparent electrodes covering areas located over a first pair of conjugate points of said lens, third and fourth transparent electrodes covering areas located over a second pair of conjugate points, and, on the opposite side, a third transparent electrode covering all four areas;a first approximately 50:50 fiber-optic coupler having two nominal input fibers and two nominal output fibers having one output fiber in optical contact with said first transparent electrode area and the other output fiber in optical contact with said third transparent electrode area; anda second approximately 50:50 fiber-optic coupler having two nominal input fibers and two nominal output fibers having one input fiber in optical contact with said second transparent electrode area and the other input fiber in optical contact with said fourth transparent electrode area.