The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 23, 2025
Filed:
Jul. 14, 2023
The Government of the United States of America, As Represented BY the Secretary of the Navy, Arlington, VA (US);
Marcel W. Pruessner, Chevy Chase, MD (US);
Todd H. Stievater, Arlington, VA (US);
Nathan F. Tyndall, Alexandria, VA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus includes a polarization rotator or a polarization splitter. The polarization rotator and the polarization splitter each includes a first optical waveguide. The polarization rotator further includes a movable symmetry-breaking micro-electro-mechanical systems ('MEMS') dielectric perturber separated from the first optical waveguide by a gap. The first optical waveguide and the MEMS dielectric perturber define a gap therebetween. The polarization rotator also includes a MEMS actuator moving the MEMS dielectric perturber so as to control the gap, thereby controlling polarization rotation within the first optical waveguide. The polarization splitter includes a second optical waveguide separated from the first optical waveguide by a gap. The polarization splitter also includes a MEMS actuator moving the first optical waveguide and/or the second optical waveguide so as to control the gap, thereby controlling polarization splitting between the optical waveguides.