Optical switch and optical logic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9678406-B2
Application number	US-201314082674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2013
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

Provided are an optical switch and an optical logic device. The optical switch includes a plate having a nanometer-sized thickness, a first slit formed in the plate, through which a first light passes, a second slit formed in the plate, separately from the first slit, through which a second light selectively passes, a plurality of first grooves formed on a first side of the first slit, between the first slit and the second slit, and a plurality of second grooves formed on a second side of the first slit, opposite the first side. The first light and the second light may have a phase difference and a focusing of the first light is turned on/off by controlling the second light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical switch comprising:
a plate;
a first slit formed in the plate;
a second slit formed in the plate separately from the first slit;
a plurality of first grooves formed on the plate, on a first side of the first slit, between the first slit and the second slit; and
a plurality of second grooves formed on the plate on a second side of the first slit, opposite the first side,
wherein, when first light is incident on the first slit, second light is incident on the second slit, and there is a phase difference between the first light and the second light, a focusing of the first light is turned on and off by controlling the second light
wherein each of the plurality of first grooves and each of the plurality of second grooves is formed to a depth less than a depth of the plate from the first face of the plate to the second face of the plate, such that none of the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves fully penetrates the plate.

2. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the plate is on an order of a nanometer.

3. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first slit which is centered between the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves.

4. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the first slit and the second slit have tetragonal cross-sections.

5. The optical switch of claim 4 , wherein a width of the first slit and a width of the second slit are selected to be in a range of about ½ λ to about 1/20 λ, wherein λ is a wavelength of the first light.

6. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein at least the plurality of first grooves or the plurality of second grooves are formed in both faces of the plate.

7. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first grooves and each of the plurality of second grooves has a tetragonal cross-section.

8. The optical switch of claim 7 , wherein a width of each of the plurality of first grooves and a width of each of the plurality of second grooves is in a range of about ½ λ to about 1/20 λ, wherein λ is a wavelength of the first light.

9. The optical switch of claim 7 , wherein a depth each of the plurality of first grooves and a depth of each of the plurality of second grooves is in a range of about ½ λ to about 1/20 λ, wherein λ is a wavelength of the first light.

10. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein each of the first slit and the second slit has a circular cross-section.

11. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves are arranged in the form of concentric rings formed around the first slit.

12. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first grooves comprises three to ten first grooves and the plurality of second grooves comprises three to ten second grooves.

13. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the first slit, the second slit, the plurality of first grooves, and the plurality of second grooves are arranged at regular intervals.

14. The optical switch of claim 12 , wherein a length of the regular intervals is less than or equal to a wavelength of the first light.

15. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the phase difference between the first light and the second light is 180 degrees.

16. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of first grooves a number of the plurality of second grooves, and intervals between the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves are selected based on one of a focal length, a strength, and a wavelength of the first light.

17. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the plate is formed comprises one of a conductive metal and a semiconductor.

18. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the plate comprises at least one material selected from a group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, and Cr.

19. The optical switch of claim 1 , further comprising a phase difference generator which converts a phase of one of the first light and the second light, such that the second light has the phase difference from the first light.

20. A logic circuit device comprising:
a first optical switch;
a second optical switch facing the first optical switch; and
a waveguide disposed between the first optical switch and the second optical switch, wherein the waveguide guides a first output light from the first optical switch and a second output light from the second optical switch,
wherein the first optical switch comprises:
a first plate, wherein a thickness of the first plate is on an order of a nanometer;
a first slit formed in the first plate;
a second slit formed in the first plate, separately from the first slit;
a plurality of first grooves formed in the first plate, on a first side of the first slit, between the first slit and the second slit; and
a plurality of second grooves formed in the first plate, on a second side of the first slit, opposite the first side,
wherein, when first light is incident on the first slit, second light is incident on the second slit, and there is a phase difference between the first light and the second light, a focusing of the first light is turned on and off by controlling the second light; and

wherein the second optical switch comprises:
a second plate, wherein a thickness of the second plate is on an order of a nanometer;
a third slit formed in the second plate;
a fourth slit formed in the second plate, separately from the third slit;
a plurality of third grooves formed in the second plate, on a first side of the third slit, between the third slit and the fourth slit; and
a plurality of fourth grooves formed in the second plate, on a second side of the third slit, opposite the first side,
wherein, when third light is incident on the third slit, fourth light is incident on the fourth slit, and there is a phase difference between the third light and the fourth light, a focusing of the third light is turned on and off by controlling the fourth light.

21. The logic circuit device of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first slit which is centered between the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves, and
wherein the plurality of third grooves and the plurality of fourth grooves are arranged symmetrically with respect to the third slit which is centered between the plurality of third grooves and the plurality of fourth grooves.

22. The logic circuit device of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of first grooves comprises three to ten first grooves, the plurality of second grooves comprises three to ten second grooves, the plurality of third grooves comprises three to ten third grooves, and the plurality of fourth grooves comprises three to ten fourth grooves.

23. The logic circuit device of claim 20 , wherein each of the first plate and the second plate are formed of one of a conductive metal and a semiconductor.

24. The logic circuit device of claim 23 , wherein the each of the first plate and the second plate comprises at least one material selected from a group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, and Cr.

25. The logic circuit device of claim 20 , further comprising:
a first phase difference generator which converts a phase of one of the first light and the second ligh

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cheon Sang-Mo

Classifications

• G02F3/02 Primary

  Optical bistable devices · CPC title

• G02F2203/10

  plasmon · CPC title

• G02F3/00

  Optical logic elements; Optical bistable devices · CPC title

• G02F1/0126 Primary

  Opto-optical modulation, i.e. control of one light beam by another light beam, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title

• G02B26/08 Primary

  for controlling the direction of light (in light guides G02B6/35) · CPC title