Teijin Seiki Co., Ltd.

Morio Kobayashi

Masayuki Togawa

Minoru Takeda

Masahiro Kanbara

Tsutomu Takahashi

Kiyoshi Toyama

Yoshinori Oonuma

Junichirou Asano

Masahiro Kambara

The invention is to offer an optical device which is capable of reducing the insertion loss comparing with a conventional one. The optical switch comprises a fiber collimator for input an light beam, a fiber collimator for output the light beam to the outside, an optical path switching element, an optical path switching element as well as a slider arranged in the optical paths between the fiber collimator and the fiber collimator to change the light path and the optical characteristics, a solenoid actuator for moving the slider, a guide mechanism for guiding the slider as the slider moves, a magnet for generating a magnetic field, the magnet being arranged at a position where the slider is pressed against the guide mechanism by means of a magnetic force of a magnetic field generated by the magnet.

Optical device

Each of light beam switching elements disposed between input and output fiber collimators includes a support member, a first reflection member mounted on the peripheral portion of the support member and a second reflection member mounted on the peripheral portion of the support member. The first reflection member has a first reflection mirror surface to reflect the light beam from the input fiber collimator, and the second reflection member has a second reflection mirror surface to reflect the light beam reflected by the first reflection mirror surface. A drive actuator allows each of the switching elements to assume a first rotation position in which the light beam from the input fiber collimator is reflected by the first and second mirror surfaces, and a second rotation position in which the light beam from the input fiber collimator passes between the first and second reflection members without being reflected by the mirror surfaces.

Optical path switching apparatus

The disclosed herein is a novel and less expensive optical path switching apparatus for switching at least one input optical path selectively into at least one output optical path which comprises; switching means for switching the input optical path selectively into the output optical path which has at least one switching optical path to permit a light beam to pass thereon, inputting means for inputting at least one light beam to the switching means, and outputting means for outputting at least one light beam from the switching means, the switching means being essentially consisting of (i) a housing, (ii) at least one switching element having a first reflection surface to reflect the light beam inputted from each of input optical paths and a second reflection surface to reflect the light beam reflected from the first reflection surface toward the output optical path of the outputting means, and a reflection space formed between the first and second reflection surfaces of a switching element body, and (iii) at least one actuation element to actuate the optical path switching element for assuming two different positions including, a first position in which the input optical path of the inputting means is switched to the output optical path and a second position in which the input optical path is not switched to the output optical path of the outputting means.

A method of magneto-optically modulating light comprises the steps of linearly polarizing the light on its transmission path, and placing a magneto-optic effect element on the transmission path of the polarized light with the spontaneous magnetization direction of the magneto-optic effect element being substantially parallel with the transmission path. The plane of polarization of the polarized light is rotated about the transmission path in the absence of the magnetic field applied to the magneto-optic effect element having the polarized light pass therethrough. The method further comprises the step of applying the magnetic field to the magneto-optic effect element with its internal magnetization being oriented in a direction perpendicular to the transmission path. The plane of polarization of the polarized light is maintained in its initial state in the presence of the magnetic field applied to the magneto-optic effect element having the polarized light pass therethrough. When the object approaches the magneto-optic effect element, the applied magnetic field is modulated to have the direction of the internal magnetization of the magneto-optic effect element varied. As a result, the plane of polarization of the polarized light is rotated about the transmission path from its initial state when the polarized light passes through the magneto-optic effect element. According to the method, the light can be modulated by way of the object inoperable to apply the magnetic field to the magneto-optic effect element but capable of modulating the magnetic field of the magneto-optic effect element.

Magneto-optically modulating system for monitoring relative relationship

A method of magneto-optically modulating light comprises the steps of linearly polarizing the light on its transmission path, placing a magnetooptic effect element on the transmission path of the polarized light with the spontaneous magnetization direction of the element being parallel with the transmission path, the polarized light being modulated into a first light component when the plane of polarization of the polarized light is rotated to assume the first rotational position by the magnetooptic effect element in the absence of the applied magnetic field, applying the magnetic field to the magnetooptic effect element with the internal magnetization of the element being oriented in a direction perpendicular to the transmission path, the polarized light being modulated into a second light component when the plane of polarization of the polarized light is shifted to a second rotational position by the magnetooptic effect element in the presence of the applied magnetic field. According to the method, the light is modulated under the condition that the transmission path is perpendicular to the applied magnetic field, thereby making it possible to direct the transmission path in one of a variety of different directions respectively perpendicular to the direction of the applied magnetic field.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Morio Kobayashi