High speed, random optical switching, using Fabry-Perot Holographic circle-to-point Conversion

A solid-state, dense, random optical cross-switch is commercializedto fill needs in the commercial metro-core telecom market, and to supplyrapid, multi-channel, covert, and frequency agile optical communications tothe national missile defense initiative. The optical switch is based uponFabry-Perot and Holographically Dispersed Liquid Crystal (H-PDLC) technology.The deliverable is entirely solid state, is switched electronically requiring minimal power, and is fabricated using planar fabrication techniques - providing significant cost and durability advantages over competing technologies. Two devicesproviding 32-channel and 200-channel discrimination in the telecommunicationsC-band are delivered to the commercial market. This enabling technology will be commercially useful in expanding all-optical communications within the metro-core. Variants of this switchable holographic optical element can be used in applications as farafield as beam-steering, spectrospic detection of chemical agents and surface metrology in the semi-conductor industry.