U.S. Philips Corporation

Horst Dotsch

Friedrich K Beckmann

Wolfgang Hoppe

Hans-Jurgen Schmitt

Dieter Gossel

Jurgen Muller

The invention relates to an optical branching device which may be used as an optical isolator, circulator or switch. The device comprises two polarization-sensitive beam splitters. Each beam splitter comprises a prism and a rhombohedral plate between which a liquid crystal film is interposed. An optical device for rotating the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light is arranged between the two beam splitters. The polarization rotation device may comprise a Faraday rotator with a constant or a switchable direction of magnetization and a half-wave plate. Alternatively, the polarization rotation device may comprise a liquid crystal film interposed between two electrodes.

Optical branching device using a liquid crystal

An ion-generator for producing an air flow includes a plurality of rectangularly shaped plate electrodes spaced from one another and respectively lying in planes parallel to the direction of the air flow, such plate electrodes extending perpendicularly to the direction of the air flow, the edge of each plate electrode facing upstream being rounded. There is a plurality of rows of needle electrodes disposed upstream of the plate electrodes and extending perpendicularly to the direction of the air flow, such rows of needle electrodes being respectively associated with and oriented towards the gaps between the plate electrodes, the tips of all the needle electrodes being disposed in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the air flow. There is an electrically conductive rod-shaped support for each row of needle electrodes, such rod-shaped supports being arranged parallel to the rounded edges of the plate electrodes. An electrically insulating material covers each rod-shaped support and its associated row of needle electrodes except for the tip of each needle electrode. The plate electrodes are connected to one terminal of a high-voltage d.c. source; and the rod-shaped supports are connected to the other terminal of such d.c. source.

Ion-generator for producing an air flow

A method of detecting movable cylindrical magnetic domains produced in a magnetic crystal film supported on a substrate in which a microwave signal is transmitted into a restricted region between two planar conductors by means of a ferrimagnetic resonance mode, and the presence of a domain is detected from the measuring signal variation when the echoes of elastic waves in the film vary.

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Pinneberg, Germany

Horst Dotsch