Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Liquid crystal optical element – Liquid crystal etalon
Reexamination Certificate
2005-10-11
2005-10-11
Ngo, Huyen (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Liquid crystal optical element
Liquid crystal etalon
C349S074000, C349S086000, C349S113000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06954253
ABSTRACT:
A novel aspect to the invention is a structural arrangement to widen the Fabry-Perot gap beyond a 100-micron LC thickness. The widening permits greatly enhanced spectral discrimination (i.e. many more WDM channels) across the device response range, which is expanded to ITU standards by use of the twin etalon configuration. A liquid crystal optical multiplexer according to the present invention is a two-etalon Fabry-Perot laser etched into many (>100) sub-etalons in a rectangular array. Each sub-etalon is independently tunable and can be coupled to a distinct fiber. Any single sub-etalon or random combination of sub-etalons is free to be tuned to a particular wavelength corresponding to one of the input channels. This allows for any combination of signals (i.e digital video, data and voice) in a signal broadband channel to be switched to any of several receivers. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is used to combine or separate individual types of signals from a single fiber. Phase-matching coatings are used on the materials within the Fabry-Perot gap, thereby enhancing transmission performance of the WDM device.
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Kerr Robert B.
Marder William Z.
Noto John
Warren Anthony C.
Zhang Hailiang
Ngo Huyen
Roberts Abokhair & Mardula LLC
Scientific Solutions Inc.
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