Patent ID: 7228012

Claim:
An apparatus selectively operable as an on-fiber microwave modulator and high speed switch for modulating and switching off an optical signal transmitted in an optical fiber, comprising: an optical fiber having a core surrounded by a cladding material, and having a region wherein the passive cladding material has been removed to form an exposed core surface; a modified fiber including at least three layers surrounding the fiber core comprising an inner metallic electrode coated on said exposed surface of the fiber core, an electrooptic active material coated on the top of said inner electrode, and an outer metallic electrode coated on the top of the electrooptic material; the electrooptic material surrounding the inner electrode having an adjustable index of refraction which is changed by an external electromagnetic field applied to the inner and outer electrodes; a light source for providing an optical signal carrier for communication signals transmission into said optical fiber and providing a reference signal; means for applying an external electronic modulating communication signal to the electrooptic material through said inner and outer electrodes to change the optical properties of the modified region to modulate the optical signal in said optical fiber core; first detector means positioned on said optical fiber downstream from said light source and said region of modified fiber for detecting optical signals in said optical fiber and transfer optical signals to electrical signals; and signal processing means for amplifying an output signal of said detector while also providing demodulation of the electric signal to separate the transmitted communication signal, wherein said reference signal from said light source is used to provide a noise free signal output, said signal output is the electronic communication signal.