Gemfire Corporation

Deacon Research

Other

Michael J Brinkman

William K Bischel

David A Deacon

Simon J Field

Edward J DeWath

Mark J Dyer

David A G Deacon

Tony C Kowalczyk

Lee Lisheng Huang

David Main

Mark J Dryer

Stanley Timothy Lau

Edward J De Wath

Linda A Whittelsey

A thermo-optic switch is operated in a novel near-impulse mode in which the drive pulse width is shorter than twice the diffusion time of the switch. The drive pulse width is less than the rise time of the steady-state optical response and also less than the rise time of the deflection efficiency response to the applied drive pulse. The drive pulse can further include a sustaining segment following the initial short pulse segment, if it is desired to maintain the switch in an ON state for a longer period of time. A number of additional techniques are described for further reducing the response time of the switch. An array of thermo-optic switches operated in this manner can form a display which, due to the fast individual switch rise times, can operate at an overall fast refresh rate.

Thermo-optic switch having fast rise-time

An optical device includes at least a first and second electrical conductors. At least one optical layer overlies at least a portion of the first and second electrical conductors. An applicator is positioned proximate to said at least one optical layer to selectively redirect light from the optical layer. An electrical coupling path between said at least one applicator and one of said first or second electrical conductors, at least a portion of the coupling path traversing said at least one optical layer. At least one optical waveguide may be formed in an optical layer above said electrical conductors. A feature is located to receive light redirected by the applicator and at least one electrical coupling path, which may be included in said feature, couples the applicator and at least one of said plurality of conductors. In a further aspect, a method for manufacturing an optical device is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: providing a substrate; constructing at least a first electrical conductor in a first substantially planar layer; forming an optical guiding structure in an optical layer; constructing at least one applicator capable of redirecting optical energy; constructing a feature; and electrically coupling said applicator and said at least first electrical conductor.

Electrical connection scheme for optical devices

A flat panel display is based on a new switching technology for routing laser light among a set of optical waveguides and coupling that light toward the viewer. The switching technology is based on poled electro-optical structures. The display technology is versatile enough to cover application areas spanning the range from miniature high resolution computer displays to large screen displays for high definition television formats. The invention combines the high brightness and power efficiency inherent in visible semiconductor diode laser sources with a new waveguide electro-optical switching technology to form a dense two-dimensional addressable array of high brightness light emissive pixels.

Display panel with electrically-controlled waveguide-routing

In a first state of an optical switch, a structure in the switch confines an optical mode to propagate along a first, unswitched path. The switch is switched into a second state by reducing the refractive index along the first path, or by increasing the refractive index of a region of the switch outside but adjacent to the first path, until the index within the first path is lower, preferably substantially lower, than that of the adjacent region. This creates an anti-waveguiding section in which light is forced to diverge from the unswitched path both by diffraction and refraction. The refractive index change is produced thermo-optically or electro-optically, for example. In a symmetric planar embodiment, upon actuation, light escapes from the confinement region into two beams deflected symmetrically in lateral directions while remaining vertically confined. In an asymmetric planar embodiment, upon actuation, light from the confinement region escapes in one direction away from the confinement region in the horizontal plane, while remaining confined vertically and in the opposite direction in the horizontal plane. A self-aligned method for fabricating optical switches is also described.

Anti-waveguide routing structure

Method for optical energy transfer and energy guidance uses an electric field to control energy propagation using a class of poled structures in solid material. The poled structures, which may form gratings in thin film or bulk configurations, may be combined with waveguide structures. Electric fields are applied to the poled structures to control routing of optical energy. Techniques include frequency-selective switchable- and adjustable-tunable reflection, splitting, directional coupling, frequency-tunable switching and efficient beam combining, as well as polarized beam combining. Adjustable tunability is obtained by a poled structure which produces a spatial gradient in a variable index of refraction along an axis in the presence of a variable electric field. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of switching a grating which consists of a poled material with an alternating domain structure of specific period. When an electric field is applied across the periodic structure, a Bragg grating is formed by the electro-optic effect, reflecting optical radiation with a certain bandwidth around a center wavelength. The grating may be used by itself, or in combination with other gratings to form integrated structures in a ferroelectric crystal. Specifically of interest is an method of using an integrated structure in which one or more optical waveguides interact with one or more periodic structures to form a wavelength selective integrated optic modulator, switch, or feedback element.

Method of manipulating optical wave energy using patterned electro-optic structures

A method of scanning a plurality of display elements or pixels of a display and an apparatus capable of performing the method of scanning, allow energy propagating along a primary path to be diverted sequentially by a series of energy diverting devices to a plurality of secondary paths in a scanning direction depending upon the finite turn-on and turn-off times of the energy diverting devices.

Scanning method and architecture for display

Display architecture with waveguide routing and out-plane emission

Integrated optical device with phosphor in substrate pit

Method for operating a display panel with electrically-controlled

Phosphor RE-radiation in integrated optics

Frequency converter optical source for switched waveguide

An extremely low-loss optical switch element includes a first waveguide segment having first and second regions longitudinally-adjacent with each other and having an index of refraction difference which is greater when the switch element is in an 'on' state than when it is in an 'off' state. The two regions have a common boundary which is oriented at an angle in the first waveguide so as to redirect optical energy through total internal reflection when the switch element is in the 'on' state. The switch element further includes a second waveguide segment spaced from the first waveguide segment and disposed and oriented to guide optical energy redirected from the first waveguide segment when the switch element is in the 'on' state.

Low loss optical switch with inducible refractive index boundary and

A new class of energy interaction devices, particularly optical energy transfer devices and energy guiding devices, use an energy field, particularly an electric field, applied to a poled structure to control energy propagation in a solid material. The poled structures, which may form gratings in thin film or bulk configurations, may be combined with waveguide structures to guide energy beams such as optical or acoustic beams. Electric fields applied to the poled structures, such as electrically-activated gratings, control routing of optical energy. Optical devices include but are not limited to, frequency-selective switchable- and adjustably-tunable reflectors, splitters, directional couplers, frequency-tunable switches and efficient beam combiners, as well as polarized beam combiners, am and fm modulators, mode selectors, energy transfer devices, optical data readers, panel display devices, and waveguide/reflector switching arrays. Variable reflectivity in a grating and adjustable tunability is obtained by a poled structure under the influence of an adjustable field, producing a spatial gradient in an adjustable propagation velocity in the solid material.

Growing community of inventors

Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Michael J Brinkman