1. A light controlling apparatus comprising:
a substrate in which an optical aperture is formed;
a first light controlling means and a second light controlling means, each having an optical aperture regulating portion; and
a drive source which moves the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means, wherein
the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means move mutually to a first stationary position retracted from a position of the optical aperture, and a second stationary position which overlaps with a position of the optical aperture, and
a single rotating shaft member is formed integrally with the first light controlling means, and
a coupling portion is formed on at least one of the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means, and the first light controlling means is rotated by rotating the single rotating shaft member by the drive source, a rotational movement of the first light controlling means is transmitted to the second light controlling means by contacting mechanically the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means via the coupling portion, and the second light controlling means is also rotated turned in conjunction by the coupling portion, and
the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means rotate with the same axis of rotation as a center of rotation.
2. The light controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a central axis of the rotating shaft member and the axis of rotation of the first controlling means and the second controlling means coincide.
3. The light controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
at least one of the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means has a protruding portion which is protruded in an optical axial direction, and
the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means are coupled by the protruding portion, and move in conjunction.
4. The light controlling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
at least one of the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means has a protruding portion which is protruded in an optical axial direction, and
the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means are coupled by the protruding portion, and move in conjunction.
5. The light controlling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
a groove is formed in one of the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means, and a protruding portion which is protruded in the optical axial direction is formed in one of the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means in which the groove is not formed, and
the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means are coupled by the groove and the protruding portion.
6. The light controlling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
a groove is formed in one of the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means, and a protruding portion which is protruded in the optical axial direction is formed in one of the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means in which the groove is not formed, and
the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means are coupled and operated by the groove and the protruding portion.
7. The light controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means are accommodated in an overlapped state at the first stationary position, and an optical aperture is formed by the optical aperture regulating portion at the second stationary position.
8. The light controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the rotating shaft member is formed by a circular cylindrical shaped magnet, and
the drive source is an electromagnetic drive source which includes a yoke and a winding coil, and
the circular cylindrical shaped magnet is rotated by the electromagnetic drive source.
9. A light controlling apparatus comprising:
a substrate in which an optical aperture is formed;
a first light controlling means and a second light controlling means, each having an optical aperture regulating portion; and
a drive source which moves the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means, wherein
the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means move mutually to a first stationary position retracted from a position of the optical aperture, and a second stationary position which overlaps with a position of the optical aperture, and
a single rotating shaft member is formed integrally with the first light controlling means, and
a coupling portion is formed on at least one of the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means, and the first light controlling means is rotated by rotating the single rotating shaft member by the drive source, and the second light controlling means is also rotated turned in conjunction by the coupling portion, and
the first light controlling means and the second light controlling means rotate with the same axis of rotation as a center of rotation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Apparatus, comprising:
a continuous wave (cw) laser;
a modulator coupled to an output of said cw laser; and
a nonlinear optical waveguide coupled to an output of said modulator.
2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said nonlinear optical waveguide cause a wave input thereto to undergo self phase modulation.
3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said nonlinear optical waveguide is adapted to supply as an output at least a plurality of frequency components, said apparatus further comprising an optical filter adapted to select and supply as an output two of said plurality of frequency components that have a prescribed frequency spacing between them.
4. The invention as defined in claim 3 further comprising an amplifier adapted to amplify said output of said optical filter and to supply as an output an amplified version of said output of said optical filter.
5. The invention as defined in claim 3 further comprising an amplifier adapted to adjust at least one of said selected frequency components so that the amplitude of said selected frequency components is substantially the same and to supply as said amplitude adjusted frequency components as an output.
6. The invention as defined in claim 3 further comprising a polarization controller adapted to adjust at least one of said selected frequency components so that the polarization of said selected frequency components is substantially the same and to supply said polarization matched frequency components as an output.
7. The invention as defined in claim 3 further comprising a photomixer coupled to said optical filter.
8. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said photomixer is responsive to said selected frequency components to produce an electrical signal having a frequency corresponding to a difference in frequency between said selected frequency components.
9. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said photomixer is an Auston switch.
10. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said photomixer is coupled to an antenna.
11. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said photomixer is a photoconducting antenna.
12. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said photomixer produces a signal in the terahertz gap range.
13. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein a bias is applied to said photomixer.
14. The invention as defined in claim 13 wherein said bias is a constant voltage.
15. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said cw laser produces a signal that has a wavelength of 1.5 Mm.
16. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said cw laser produces a signal that has a wavelength of 1.3 Mm.
17. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said modulator is an electroabsorption modulator.
18. The invention as defined in claim 17 further comprising a frequency generator adapted to supply a sinusoidal control signal to said electroabsorption modulator.
19. The invention as defined in claim 1 further comprising an amplifier adapted to amplify the output of said modulator and to supply an amplified version of said output of said modulator to said nonlinear optical waveguide.
20. A method for developing terahertz waves comprising the steps of:
modulating an output of a constant wavelength (cw) laser to produce a modulated optical signal; and
self modulating a version of said modulated optical signal to produce at least two frequency components that have a desired frequency spacing between them in the terahertz range.
21. The invention as defined in claim 20 wherein said modulated optical signal is self modulated in a nonlinear optical waveguide.
22. The invention as defined in claim 20 further comprising the step of amplifying said modulated optical signal to produce an amplified version thereof, wherein said version of said modulated optical signal that is self modulated in said self modulating step is said amplified version.
23. The invention as defined in claim 20 further comprising the steps of:
selecting said two frequency components; and
supplying a version of said selected frequency components to a photo mixer.
24. The invention as defined in claim 23 further comprising the step of amplifying at least one of said selected frequency components, so that said version of said selected frequency components supplied to said photo mixer includes at least one amplified frequency component.
25. The invention as defined in claim 23 further comprising the step of adjusting the polarity at least one of said selected frequency components, so that said version of said selected frequency components supplied to said photo mixer includes at least one polarity adjusted frequency component.
26. The invention of claim 20, wherein:
the step of modulating comprises intensity modulating the output of the cw laser at a modulating frequency supplied by a frequency generator.
27. The invention of claim 26, wherein:
the step of self modulating comprises subjecting the modulated optical signal to self-phase modulation to generate first and second frequency components that are separated by an integer multiple of the modulating frequency.
28. The invention of claim 27, further comprising:
selecting the first and second frequency components with a filter;
in a photomixer responsive to the first and second frequency components, generating a signal having a frequency corresponding to the frequency separation between the first and second frequency components.
29. The invention of claim 1, wherein:
the modulator is an intensity modulator adapted to modulate the output of the cw laser at a modulating frequency supplied by a frequency generator.
30. The invention of claim 29, wherein:
the nonlinear optical waveguide is adapted to subject the output of the modulator to self-phase modulation to generate first and second frequency components that are separated by an integer multiple of the modulating frequency.
31. The invention of claim 30, further comprising:
a filter adapted to select the first and second frequency components and apply said selected components to a photomixer; and
the photomixer adapted to, in response to the applied first and second frequency components, generate a signal having a frequency corresponding to the frequency separation between said components.