Optical device having phase change material and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11982883-B2
Application number	US-202217658831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2022
Priority date	Apr 12, 2022
Publication date	May 14, 2024
Grant date	May 14, 2024

Abstract

An optical device may include at least one optical fiber, and a phase change material (PCM) layer on the at least one optical fiber. The PCM layer may include GexSey, where x is in a range of 20-40, and y is in a range of 60-80.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical device comprising:
at least one optical fiber; and
a phase change material (PCM) layer on a side of the at least one optical fiber, the PCM layer comprising Ge x Se y , where x is in a range of 20-40 and y is in a range of 60-80,
wherein the at least one optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fibers laterally joined together to define an optical switching portion; and wherein first and second PCM layers are on opposite sides of the optical switching portion so that a phase of the first and second PCM layers determines a latched switch state from among a plurality of latched switch states.

2. The optical device of claim 1 where x is in a range of 30-40 and y is in a range of 60-70.

3. The optical device of claim 1 comprising a heat source thermally coupled to the PCM layer to selectively change the phase of the PCM layer.

4. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the heat source comprises an optical energy source coupled to the at least one optical fiber and operable at a different wavelength for heating than a wavelength for signal transmission.

5. The optical device of claim 1 comprising an electrically conductive layer on the at least one optical fiber and electrically coupled to the PCM layer to selectively change the phase of the PCM layer.

6. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the at least one optical fiber comprises a single mode optical fiber.

7. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of latched switch states corresponds to a plurality of different continuous optical fiber signal paths.

8. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the optical switching portion has a tapered diameter shape.

9. An optical device comprising:
at least one optical fiber;
a phase change material (PCM) layer on a side of the at least one optical fiber, the PCM layer comprising Ge x Se y , where x is in a range of 30-40 and y is in a range of 60-70; and
a heat source coupled to the PCM layer to selectively change the phase of the PCM layer,
wherein the at least one optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fibers laterally joined together to define an optical switching portion; and wherein first and second PCM layers are on opposite sides of the optical switching portion so that a phase of the first and second PCM layers determines a latched switch state from among a plurality of latched switch states.

10. The optical device of claim 9 wherein the heat source comprises an optical energy source coupled to the at least one optical fiber and operable at a different wavelength for heating than a wavelength for signal transmission.

11. The optical device of claim 9 comprising an electrically conductive layer on the at least one optical fiber and electrically coupled to the PCM layer to selectively change the phase of the PCM layer.

12. The optical device of claim 9 wherein the at least one optical fiber comprises a single mode optical fiber.

13. The optical device of claim 9 wherein the plurality of latched switch states corresponds to a plurality of different continuous optical fiber signal paths.

14. The optical device of claim 9 wherein the optical switching portion has a tapered diameter shape.

15. A method for making an optical device comprising:
forming a phase change material (PCM) layer on a side of at least one optical fiber, the PCM layer comprising Ge x Se y , where x is in a range of 20-40 and y is in a range of 60-80,
wherein the at least one optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fibers laterally joined together to define an optical switching portion; and wherein first and second PCM layers are on opposite sides of the optical switching portion so that a phase of the first and second PCM layers determines a latched switch state from among a plurality of latched switch states.

16. The method of claim 15 where x is in a range of 30-40 and y is in a range of 60-70.

17. The method of claim 15 comprising coupling a heat source to the PCM layer to selectively change the phase of the PCM layer.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one optical fiber comprises a single mode optical fiber.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of latched switch states corresponds to a plurality of different continuous optical fiber signal paths.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the optical switching portion has a tapered diameter shape.

Assignees

• Eagle Tech Llc

Inventors

• Roberds Brian
• Mitkova-Vassileva Maria I
• Ahmed Simon Al-Amin

Classifications

• G02F1/0054 Primary

  Structure, phase transitions, NMR, ESR, Moessbauer spectra · CPC title

• G02F1/009

  Thermal properties · CPC title

• G02F1/0115

  in optical fibres · CPC title

• G02F1/0147

  based on thermo-optic effects (G02F1/132 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F2202/10

  semiconductor · CPC title