Corporation for National Research Initiatives

William A Noonan

An optical cross-connect switch is disclosed which includes a plurality of optical input fibers, a plurality of optical output fibers and a plurality of the (1&#xd7;N)-switches ganged together. Each of the switches includes a state selector, a lens for collimating light from a single one of the optical input fibers, a plurality of output coupling lenses, each of which corresponds to one of the optical output fibers, and a beam shaper for focusing light from the state selector onto a selected one of the coupling lenses for further focusing of the light onto the corresponding optical output fiber. Alternatively, the optical cross-connect switch can be a single an (L&#xd7;K)-switch which includes a plurality of state selectors and a plurality of lenses for collimating light from the plurality of optical input fibers.

Optical cross-connect switch

A spatial light modulator is disclosed which includes an electro-optic wafer, such as lithium niobate (LiNbO ) or PLZT, formed as an asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity with a totally reflecting dielectric mirror on its bottom face and a partially reflecting dielectric mirror on its top face. The electro-optic wafer is sandwiched between a transparent top electrode that forms a solid ground plane and a bottom electrode that is formed on a circuitry wafer and segmented into an array of electrode pads. Voltage source circuitry for each electrode is located immediately beneath the electrode in the circuitry wafer, which is bonded to the electro-optic wafer. Because the bottom electrode is segmented, a different voltage can be applied to each electrode so that the refractive index, and therefore the phase of an exiting light wave, can be spatially modulated.

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Bethesda, MD, United States of America

William A Noonan