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. 13, 1994
Filed:
Jun. 17, 1992
Joseph F Revelli, Jr, Rochester, NY (US);
Eric T Prince, Fairport, NY (US);
Steven C Switalski, Rochester, NY (US);
Hsue-Yang Liu, Rochester, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
A waveguide optical device having a guide member for propagation of light in a longitudinal direction. The guide member has upper and lower boundaries. A mass of birefringent material is disposed proximal to the guide member. The birefringent material has molecular dipoles subject to alignment by an imposed electrical field. The birefringent mass is overlapped by the optical field of the propagated light. An upper electrode is disposed in spaced relation to the birefringent mass. A lower electrode is disposed in spaced relation to the guide member. The electrodes have the capability of imposing an alternating current voltage across the birefringent mass to rotate the molecular dipoles of the birefringent mass in a plane defined by the normal to the guide member and the propagation vector of the light. The boundaries and the electrodes define an upper isolation zone between the upper electrode and the upper boundary, a guide path between the boundaries, and a lower isolation zone between the lower boundary and the lower electrode. The guide path has an effective index of refraction greater than the effective indexes of refraction of the isolation zones.