Cooper, Ronald F. | Engineering Papers

NASA NTRS1994

Improved Electro-Optical Switches

Improved single-pole, double-throw electro-optical switches operate in switching times less than microsecond developed for applications as optical communication systems and networks of optical sensors. Contain no moving parts. In comparison with some prior electro-optical switches, these are simpler and operate with smaller optical losses. Beam of light switched from one output path to other by applying, to electro-optical crystal, voltage causing polarization of beam of light to change from vertical to horizontal.

Nelson, Bruce N.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Fast optical switch having reduced light loss

An electrically controlled optical switch uses an electro-optic crystal of the type having at least one set of fast and slow optical axes. The crystal exhibits electric field induced birefringence such that a plane of polarization oriented along a first direction of a light beam passing through the crystal may be switched to a plane of polarization oriented along a second direction. A beam splitting polarizer means is disposed at one end of the crystal and directs a light beam passing through the crystal whose plane of polarization is oriented along the first direction differently from a light beam having a plane of polarization oriented along the second direction. The electro-optic crystal may be chosen from the crystal classes 43m, 42m, and 23. In a preferred embodiment, the electro-optic crystal is a bismuth germanium oxide crystal or a bismuth silicon oxide crystal. In another embodiment of the invention, polarization control optics are provided which transmit substantially all of the incident light to the electro-optic crystal, substantially reducing the insertion loss of the switch.

Nelson, Bruce N.↗