T Wilson Whitehead

Title: T. Wilson Whitehead: Inventor in Optical Switching and Analytical Instrumentation.

Introduction

T. Wilson Whitehead is an inventor associated with Raleigh, North Carolina. His patent work spans optical switching with cholesteric liquid crystals and analytical instrumentation, including a variable-energy ion beam source. His listed portfolio includes 2 patents.

Latest Patents

Whitehead’s patent work includes “Optical Switches Using Cholesteric or Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystals” and “Fiber Optic Switches Using Layers of Cholesteric or Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystals (CLCs).” These inventions use CLC layers to separate incoming unpolarized light into two orthogonal circularly polarized components and to reflect those components. In some embodiments, switchable waveplates change the components’ polarization directions so they recombine into a transmitted beam whose direction depends on the waveplate state. Other embodiments use electric or magnetic fields, or heat, to induce a phase change in the CLCs, allowing the liquid crystals themselves to act as switch elements.

Another patent, “Analytical Apparatus with Variable Energy Ion Beam Source,” describes an apparatus that connects a gas chromatograph to a mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer uses a variable-energy ion source and a magnetic sector to deflect ions according to their momentum, while a detector identifies ions deflected by a selected angle. Adjusting the potential of an alignment electrode relative to the entrance electrode varies the ion energy and allows the mass spectrum to be swept.

Career Highlights

Whitehead’s listed professional affiliations include E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and Cornell University. His patent portfolio reflects work in both optical communications and analytical equipment.

Collaborations

His listed coworkers include Christopher P. Yakymyshyn and Clifford R. Pollock, connecting his work with other contributors in the field.

Conclusion

T. Wilson Whitehead’s inventions address two distinct technical challenges: controlling light in fiber-optic systems and enabling variable-energy ion analysis in mass spectrometry.