Corning Incorporated

J Michael Harris

Robert G Lindquist

Michael P Teter

David F Gahan

A tunable liquid crystal switch is disclosed. An electronic controller provides an electronic drive scheme for achieving low intra-channel crosstalk of less than &minus;40 dB using only electronic compensation. A cross-talk less than &minus;50 dB is provided by combining coarse temperature turning and electronic compensation. This is acheived by designing the thickness of the liquid crystal device to cause a minimum to occur at a wavelength longer than a longest operating wavelength and at a temperature greater than a maximum operating temperature. This ensures that the liquid crystal device is tunable over all operating wavelengths and temperatures using electronic compensation.

Wavelength compensation in a WSXC using off-voltage control

A tunable liquid crystal switch is disclosed. An electronic controller provides an electronic drive scheme for achieving low intra-channel crosstalk of less than &minus;40 dB using only electronic compensation. A cross-talk less than &minus;50 dB is provided by combining coarse temperature tuning and electronic compensation. This is acheived by designing the thickness of the liquid crystal device to cause a minimum to occur at a wavelength longer than a longest operating wavelength and at a temperature greater than a maximum operating temperature. This ensures that the liquid crystal device is tunable over all operating wavelengths and temperatures using electronic compensation.

An optical device protection system provides dedicated and shared protection for a plurality of optical working devices which may include four-port optical working devices. The system includes an optical switch structure for routing an optical signal around an optical device when the optical device exhibits an error condition. A protection optical device performs a desired operation on the optical signal, wherein the optical switch structure directs the optical signal through the protection optical device. The use of liquid crystal switches allows the optical switch structure to sense an incorrect capacitance value associated with the liquid crystal switch. A control signal is then generated in response to the incorrect capacitance value. Thus, the optical device protection system provides flexibility and a low cost method for protecting complex optical devices.

Optical protection system for liquid crystal switches

A system and method for controlling an electron beam in accordance with the present invention includes an electron gun, a cathode ray tube with a faceplate, a deflection drive, a pair of positioning electrodes, an electron beam controller, and a pair of capacitors. The electron gun generates an electron beam in the cathode ray tube which is deflected in a desired direction towards and between at least one pair of positioning electrodes formed on the inner surface of the faceplate. Each of the positioning electrodes generates a position signal which is capacitively coupled by the capacitors to the electron beam controller. The electron beam controller adjusts the deflection of the electron beam in response to the position signals. The capacitors comprise a pair of first and second capacitor plates which are separated by the cathode ray tube. The first capacitor plates are disposed on opposing sides of an inner surface of the cathode ray tube adjacent to the faceplate. The second capacitor plates are disposed on the outer surface of the cathode ray tube, each of the second capacitor plates being disposed opposite one of the first capacitor plates.

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Elmira, NY, United States of America

J Michael Harris