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:
Dec. 02, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 13, 2001
Robert Amantea, Manalapan, NJ (US);
Sarnoff Corporation, Princeton, NJ (US);
Abstract
A micromechanical optical switch structure, that may be integrated to form an array of optical switches, switches light between a main waveguide and a switched waveguide. The switched waveguide has a coupling portion and two flexible portions and is coupled to a movable cantilever arm. The cantilever arm is configured to move at least the coupling portion of the switched waveguide between first and second positions with respect to the main waveguide. In the first position, the switched waveguide is evanescently coupled to the main waveguide and in the second position, the switched waveguide is not evanescently coupled to the main waveguide. The movable cantilever arm may be formed with bimaterial arms that move the switched waveguide in response to heat or a piezoelectric potential being applied to the arm or they may be formed with an electrostatic plate that moves the arms in response to an electrostatic potential.