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:
Jan. 30, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 28, 1999
Jing-Jong Pan, Milpitas, CA (US);
E-Tek Dynamics, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A fiberoptic liquid crystal on-off switch and variable attenuator is provided. The end facets of two optical fiber cores in a sleeve, a birefringent crystal, a quarter-pitch GRIN lens, a liquid crystal cell and a mirror element are arranged and oriented with respect to each other so that light from the first optical fiber core passes through, and back from, the first birefringent crystal, the GRIN lens, the liquid crystal cell and the mirror element into the second optical fiber core when the liquid crystal cell is in a first state. When the liquid crystal cell is in an opposite second state, light from the first optical fiber core passes through, and back from, the first birefringent crystal, the GRIN lens, the liquid crystal cell and the mirror element, but not into the second optical fiber core. If voltages intermediate to those corresponding to the On and Off states are applied to the liquid crystal cell, the amount of light passing between the first and second optical fiber cores are proportionally controlled and the device operates as an attenuator.