The crux of the invention is using a thermally driven light mill (driven by thermal creep force) to redirect the path of an optical beam within an optical network. An optical limiter 200 (i.e. optical fuse) for limiting the radiant flux of an optical source beam, comprising: an optical control port 221 for illumination by an optical control beam originating from the source beam; an optical input port 221 for illumination by an optical transmission beam originating from the source beam (the input port may also act as the control port, with the source beam also acting as the control beam); an optical output 225 port for illumination by the transmission beam; and a thermally driven light mill (comprising first 211 and second 212 vanes, pivoted about axle 214); wherein the light mill is arranged with respect to the input port, the control port and the output port such that: illumination of the control port by the control beam drives the light mill to rotate only when the control beam has a radiant flux equal to or in excess of a predetermined radiant flux threshold; and rotation of the light mill causes an area of the output port 225 illuminated by the transmission beam to change. Beam stopper 290 may be used to partially prevent the source beam from reaching the output port 225. Stays 281, 282 may be used to prevent excessive rotation of the light mill.
Optical limiter and method for limiting radiant flux
2020-05-13
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
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