Abstract: A modulator (10) for modulating an incident beam of light includes a substrate (14) having a cavity (32) formed therein and a plurality of spaced-apart deformable elements (12) formed in the cavity (32). The deformable elements (12) each has a base layer (16), a poled magnetic layer (18) formed in the base layer (16) and a first light reflection layer (20) deposited on the magnetic layer (18) for reflecting an incident beam of light. Between adjacent deformable elements on the base (12) of the cavity (32) is arranged a second light reflection layer (36). A conductive element (22, 24) formed in the substrate (14) electro-magnetically energizes the deformable elements (12) to deflect in the cavity (32). Incident light passing through each one of the first light reflection layers (20) is caused to destructively interfere with light reflected from the second light reflection layers (36) thereby causing modulation of the incident light.

Abstract: A method of making a light modulator (10) for modulating an incident beam of light includes a substrate (14) having a cavity (32)formed therein and a plurality of spaced-apart deformable elements (12) formed in the cavity (32). The deformable elements (12) each has a base layer (16), a poled magnetic layer (18) formed in the base layer (16) and a first light reflection layer (20)deposited on the magnetic layer (18) for reflecting an incident beam of light. Between adjacent deformable elements on the base (12) of the cavity (32) is arranged a second light reflection layer (36). A conductive element (22, 24) formed in the substrate (14) electro-magnetically energizes the deformable elements (12) to deflect in the cavity (32). Incident light passing through each one of the first light reflection layers (20) is caused to destructively interfere with light reflected from the second light reflection layers (36) thereby causing modulation of the incident light.

Abstract: A surface plasmon filter having two symmetric metal-dielectric interfaces coupled with each other to produce a transmission optical wave at a surface plasmon resonance wavelength at one interface from a p-polarized input beam on the other interface.

Abstract: A monolithically integrated wideband optical filter which is rapidly tunable to a large number of optical frequencies over a wide optical frequency range comprises two series connected optical filters of different resolutions formed in a semiconductive wafer. A control circuit applies electrical energy to predetermined controllably transmissive waveguides connecting components of the filters defined in the wafer. This tunes the overall filter to a desired one of a plurality of optical frequencies. Application of such electrical energy creates frequency selective pathways through the wafer able to pass one of up to hundreds of selected optical frequencies over the entire bandwidth of a semiconductive medium. This filter is economical to construct and is useful in high capacity, high speed optical communications networks.

Abstract: A Fabry-Perot etalon (310) has a cavity (12) occupied by an electric-field variable index of refraction material (22). The cavity is flanked by a pair of parallel mirrors (14), at least one of which is partially reflecting. At least one of the supporting substrates (18l) has deposited thereon a light polarizing field electrode (316l) which includes a plurality of mutually parallel, spaced apart electrical conductors (392) which define gaps (394). The electrical conductors are mutually interconnected by bus conductors (390), and may be connected by lead conductors (37) to an external voltage source, for generating the desired electric field across the cavity.

Abstract: An optical device is composed of: a transparent base plate formed of a glass or a macromolecular resin; a first layer formed of a substance having a refractive index of 1.58 or higher; and a second layer formed of an amorphous transparent fluorocarbon resin having a refractive index of 1.35 or lower. The second layer is farther from the transparent base plate than the first layer from the transparent base plate. The first and second layer constitute a film for preventing reflection. Optionally, adhesive layers are provided between the transparent base plate and the first layer and between the first layer and the second layer. Further optionally, the surfaces of the transparent base plate and the first layer are treated in order to enhance adhesion between the contact surfaces.

Abstract: An asymmetric Fabry-Perot reflectance modulator (AFPM) consists of an active region between top and bottom mirrors, the bottom mirror being affixed to a substrate by a buffer layer. The active region comprises a strained-layer region having a bandgap and thickness chosen for resonance at the Fabry-Perot frequency. The mirrors are lattice matched to the active region, and the buffer layer is lattice matched to the mirror at the interface. The device operates at wavelengths of commercially available semiconductor lasers.

Abstract: High total transmission, tunable comb filter structures are described which comprise moderately thick layers of optical material having periodic or multiply periodic refractive index modulation features comprising a multiplicity of coherently-coupled, weakly-resonant optical cavities, resulting in and characterized by spectra of high order (5 or higher) relative to a fundamental (lowest order) cavity resonance, consisting of narrow, moderate to high density reflection lines occurring in one or more sets, each set being characterized by lines equally spaced by wave number if optical dispersion is neglected. Filters of the inversion can be structured to be tuned, electro-optiRIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENTThe invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for all governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty.

Abstract: A tunable etalon filter is formed by placing mirrors on either side of a spacer of a material which has a relatively large rate of change of refractive index with temperature, and coupling the filter to a thermoelectric cooler to control the temperature of the spacer and, therefore, the index of refraction of the spacer. More specifically, the spacer can be a silicon wafer, or a wafer of zinc sulfide or zinc selenide. The mirrors can be formed of quarter wavelength layer pairs of dielectric coatings of high and low refractive index material. The thermoelectric cooler, which can be coupled to a heat sink, controls the temperature of the spacer by either heating or cooling the spacer. In operation the filter is coarse tuned by adjusting its angle relative to the angle of a received optical signal. It is then fine tuned to the signal by adjusting the temperature of the spacer.

Abstract: High total transmission, tunable comb filter structures are described which comprise moderately thick layers of optical material having periodic or multiply periodic refractive index modulation features comprising a multiplicity of coherently-coupled, weakly-resonant optical cavities, resulting in and characterized by spectra of high order (5 or higher) relative to a fundamental (lowest order) cavity resonance, consisting of narrow, moderate to high density reflection lines occurring in one or more sets, each set being characterized by lines equally spaced by wave number if optical dispersion is neglected. Filters of the invention can be structured to be tuned, electro-optically or mechanically such that the peaks within a spectral band of interest shift by one harmonic order and/or from one peak position to the next, to reflect or transmit light of any specific wavelength within a band.

Abstract: A acousto-optic Fabry-Perot optical modulator (10) has a crystalline body (12) having a first partially reflective electrode (14) for receiving radiation, including laser radiation having a wavelength or wavelengths of interest, and a second, oppositely disposed partially reflective electrode (14) for emitting the received radiation including the laser radiation. The modulator is driven by an alternating source (16) at a resonant frequency of the crystalline body and intensity modulates at the resonant frequency only the emitted laser radiation. A detector (18) is positioned for receiving the emitted radiation, including the intensity modulated laser radiation, and has an output signal expressive of the intensity of the emitted radiation. Signal processing circuitry (20,34) is coupled to the detector output signal and is responsive thereto for identifying the intensity modulated laser radiation for indicating when laser radiation is received by the modulator.

Abstract: The electrically actuated light filter operates in a cyclical temporal mode to effect a tristimulus-color light analyzer. Construction is based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer comprised of a high-speed movable mirror pair and cyclically powered electrical actuators. When combined with a single vidicon tube or a monochrome solid state image sensor, a temporally operated tristimulus-color video camera is effected. A color-generated is accomplished when constructed with a companion light source and is a flicker-free colored-light source for transmission type display systems. Advantages of low cost and small physical size result from photolithographic batch-processing manufacturability.

Abstract: This invention describes a tunable optical filter to be used in an optical communication system. The filter of this invention has a pair of resonator cavities which are cascaded. The lengths of each of the cavities change simultaneously with the change in length of a piezoelectric sleeve which contacts a reflective surface of each of the cavities through spacers. The sleeves and spacers are set so as to move the reflecting surfaces of the cavities along a single axis in response to a single control signal. When optical signals are passed through the two cavities and when the ratio of the length of the cavities is adjusted to a predetermined ratio of integers, the resonator cavity will resonate at a desired wavelength.