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Title: Electrically-programmable diffraction grating

Abstract

An electrically-programmable diffraction grating is disclosed. The programmable grating includes a substrate having a plurality of electrodes formed thereon and a moveable grating element above each of the electrodes. The grating elements are electrostatically programmable to form a diffraction grating for diffracting an incident beam of light as it is reflected from the upper surfaces of the grating elements. The programmable diffraction grating, formed by a micromachining process, has applications for optical information processing (e.g. optical correlators and computers), for multiplexing and demultiplexing a plurality of light beams of different wavelengths (e.g. for optical fiber communications), and for forming spectrometers (e.g. correlation and scanning spectrometers). 14 figs.

Inventors:
; ; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
644393
Patent Number(s):
5757536
Application Number:
PAN: 8-521,559
Assignee:
Sandia Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 26 May 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
44 INSTRUMENTATION, INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS; 99 MATHEMATICS, COMPUTERS, INFORMATION SCIENCE, MANAGEMENT, LAW, MISCELLANEOUS; DIFFRACTION GRATINGS; OPTICAL SYSTEMS; SPECTROMETERS; DESIGN; VISIBLE RADIATION; COMPUTERS

Citation Formats

Ricco, A J, Butler, M A, Sinclair, M B, and Senturia, S D. Electrically-programmable diffraction grating. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
Ricco, A J, Butler, M A, Sinclair, M B, & Senturia, S D. Electrically-programmable diffraction grating. United States.
Ricco, A J, Butler, M A, Sinclair, M B, and Senturia, S D. Tue . "Electrically-programmable diffraction grating". United States.
@article{osti_644393,
title = {Electrically-programmable diffraction grating},
author = {Ricco, A J and Butler, M A and Sinclair, M B and Senturia, S D},
abstractNote = {An electrically-programmable diffraction grating is disclosed. The programmable grating includes a substrate having a plurality of electrodes formed thereon and a moveable grating element above each of the electrodes. The grating elements are electrostatically programmable to form a diffraction grating for diffracting an incident beam of light as it is reflected from the upper surfaces of the grating elements. The programmable diffraction grating, formed by a micromachining process, has applications for optical information processing (e.g. optical correlators and computers), for multiplexing and demultiplexing a plurality of light beams of different wavelengths (e.g. for optical fiber communications), and for forming spectrometers (e.g. correlation and scanning spectrometers). 14 figs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1998},
month = {5}
}

Patent:
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