Corning Incorporated

Darol Chamberlain

Bernard Eid

Victoria Ann Edwards

Christopher Philip Brophy

Steven Bruce Dawes

Laura A Weller-Brophy

Gang Chen

Mike Xu Ouyang

Peter J McNeilly

The present invention relates to a tunable optical device that includes an optical fiber device having optical properties that vary with temperature and a heater . The heater is thermally coupled to the optical fiber device . The heater includes a metal layer and two electrical contacts that are electrically connected to the metal layer . The electrical contacts are spaced apart from one another along the metal layer . The electrical resistance of the portion of the metal layer between the contacts varies with temperature and serves as a resistive heater. The invention also includes a controller that is electrically connected to the heater . The controller provides electrical power to the heater and measures the electrical voltage across the heater . The controller compares the measured electrical voltage to a pre-selected reference value. The controller then regulates the amount of electrical current supplied to the heater . By regulating the amount of electrical current supplied to the heater the temperature of the heater is controlled.

Thermally tunable optical devices

A fluid encapsulated MEMS optical switch includes an optical waveguide matrix with MEMS mirrors situated in trenches located at waveguide cross-points. The trenches are filled with collimation-maintaining fluid and the mirrors are immersed therein. The collimation maintaining fluid prevents the light beam from spreading when it enters the switch cross-points. This feature enables the use of much smaller MEMS mirrors and prevents some of the typical MEMS mirror problems found in the related art. In particular, the MEMS mirror disclosed in the present invention is reduced to approximately 15 &mgr;m wide and 2 &mgr;m thick, resulting in shorter actuation distances of approximately 15 &mgr;m. This feature results in an optical switch having faster switching times.

Fluid-encapsulated MEMS optical switch

A fluid encapsulated MEMS optical switch includes an optical waveguide matrix with MEMS mirrors situated in trenches located at waveguide cross-points. The trenches are filled with collimation-maintaining fluid and the mirrors are immersed the rein. The collimation maintaining fluid prevents the light beam from spreading when it enters the switch cross-points. This feature enables the use of much smaller MEMS mirrors and prevents some of the typical MEMS mirror problems found in the related art

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Ithaca, NY, United States of America

Darol Chamberlain