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:
Feb. 27, 1996
Filed:
Mar. 22, 1995
Terry L Smith, Roseville, MN (US);
Daniel V Attanasio, Clinton, CT (US);
James E Watson, Maplewood, MN (US);
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A polarization-independent electro-optically switched directional coupler utilizing reverse differential propagation constant control comprises an electro-optic material having at least a pair of wave guide channels within an interaction region and at least a pair of electrodes for selectively producing an electric field across the wave guide channels which electro-optically alters an optical propagation constant of the wave guide channels so as to vary the effects of an optical coupling between the wave guide channels. The wave guide channels have a curvature region defined by a constant radius that is selected so as to coincide a set of operating voltages for an optical switch state of the directional coupler for a transverse magnetic (TM) polarization mode with a set of operating voltages for an optical switch state of the directional coupler for a transverse electric (TE) polarization mode by shifting the optical switch state of the TM polarization mode relative to the optical state of the TE polarization mode due to the relative difference between the magnitude of the electro-optic effect for the TM polarization mode light signal in the curvature region and magnitude of the electro-optic effect for the TE polarization mode light signal in the curvature region.