Oplink Communications, Inc.

Oplinic Communications, Inc.

Qing Shao

Shifang Li

Wei-Zhong Li

A magneto-optical switch includes a birefringent crystal that receives a light beam, a half-wave plate pair that receives the light beam from the birefringent crystal, a Faraday rotator that receive the light beam from the half-wave plate, a prism that receives the light beam from the Faraday rotator, and a reflective surface that receives the light beam from the Faraday rotator. The Faraday rotator receives an electromagnetic field to change the polarization of the light beam as it passes through the Faraday rotator.

Miniature 1&#xd7;2 magneto-optic switch

An optical switch uses a walk-off crystal together with a Wollaston prism, a Faraday rotator, and a halfwave plate pair and a single collimating lens of one multiple-fiber pigtail for both input and output optical beams. In one embodiment, an input beam enters the device through one port of a tri-fiber pigtail, and a switched beam exits the device through a second or third port of the same tri-fiber pigtail, depending on a state of the Faraday rotator. All three beams use the same pigtail and collimating lens.

Miniature magneto-optic fiber optical switch

A magneto-optical switch includes a first birefringent crystal configured to receive a light beam, a first half-wave compensator plate pair configured to receive split light beams from the birefringent crystal, a first Faraday rotator configured to receive the split light beams from the first half-wave compensator plate pair, and a beam splitter configured to receive the split light beam from the Faraday rotator. The first Faraday rotator is configured to change the polarization of a light beam passing through the first Faraday rotator.

Miniature 2&#xd7;2 magneto-optic switch

A mechanical optical switch includes a port, a first lens element, a free beam path, and a beam guiding element. The port is adapted to receive a first group of optical fibers. The first lens element has an optical axis and is positioned in front of the first group of optical fibers. The free beam path couples light beams from a second group of optical fibers to the first lens element such that the light beams are coupled to the first group of optical fibers in a first coupling arrangement. The beam guiding element is configured to move into and out of the free beam path. Moving the beam guiding element into the free beam path shifts the light beams by an offset and rotates the light beams by an angle such that the light beams propagate to the first lens element and are coupled into the first group of optical fibers in a second coupling arrangement.

Multiple optical switches using refractive optics

A mechanical optical switch with a first port for holding a first optical fiber and a second port for holding a second optical fiber and a lensing element positioned in front of the first and second ports. The switch has a signal port holding a signal or input fiber which emits a light beam to be switched between the first and second fibers. The light beam propagates along a free beam path to the first lensing element and is in-coupled into the first optical fiber. The switch is equipped with a beam guiding element, such as a wedge, which can be moved in and out of the free beam path for directing the light beam to the second fiber. The wedge is designed to shift the light beam by an offset and rotate it by an angle.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Qing Shao