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:
Aug. 20, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 05, 1999
Steven P. McGarry, Carp, CA;
Charles D. MacPherson, Ottawa, CA;
Nortel Networks Limited, St. Laurent, CA;
Abstract
An adaptive optical waveguide router in which routing paths may be dynamically created by the use of a scanning system. The optical router interconnects at least one optical input to a at least optical output. The optical waveguide layer employed is substantially comprised of a photosensitive material which has a change in index of refraction at one optical wavelength when exposed to a different optical wavelength and which, in some way, may be restored to it's original state. One such material is Bacteriorhodopsin which shows a photocycle in the visible region of the optical spectrum. The scanning system, in response to routing information, traces a routing path(s) between an input(s) and a selected output(s) which alters the index of refraction in the path(s) traced in the photorefractive material. An optical input signal then propagates along the traced path between the selected input(s) and the selected output(s).