Single control liquid crystal optical switch and attenuator

1. An optical device configured to perform switching and attenuation of an input beam, comprising:

a liquid crystal (LC) structure for conditioning the polarization state of incident light and disposed in an optical path of an input beam and optical paths of output beams generated from the input beam, the LC structure having,

a first light-conditioning LC region positioned in the optical path of the input beam,

a second light-conditioning LC region positioned in an optical path of a first output beam,

a third light-conditioning LC region positioned in an optical path of a second output beam, and

a control electrode that is controlled to be set at one of multiple bias levels and is arranged to simultaneously apply the same bias to the first, second and third light-conditioning LC regions;

a first electrode that is arranged to apply a first fixed reference bias to the first and second light-conditioning LC regions;

a second electrode that is arranged to apply a second fixed reference bias to the third light-conditioning LC region; and

a beam polarization separator disposed in the optical path of the input beam and configured to generate the output beams from the input beam based on a polarization state of the input beam.

2. The optical device of claim 1 , further comprising a light-reflective element arranged in the optical paths of the output beams to redirect the first and second output beams through the second and third light-conditioning LC regions, respectively.

3. The optical device of claim 2 , further comprising an optical element arranged in the optical paths of the output beams downstream of the second and third light-conditioning LC regions and configured to reduce an intensity of the output beams passing therethrough in accordance with the polarization state of the output beams.

4. The optical device of claim 3 , wherein the optical element comprises a beam polarization separator that splits each of the first and second output beams into an s-polarized component and a p-polarized component and directs the p- and s-polarized components of the first and second output beams along different optical paths.

5. The optical device of claim 3 , wherein the optical element comprises an absorptive polarizer that absorbs one of p- and s-polarized components of the output beams.

6. The optical device of claim 2 , wherein the light-reflective element comprises a reflective surface and a quarter-wave plate.

7. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second light-conditioning LC regions are formed from a single liquid crystal cavity.

8. In an optical device having at least one input port, multiple output ports, multiple loss ports, and a liquid crystal (LC) structure having first, second and third light-conditioning LC regions for conditioning the polarization state of incident light and a control electrode that is controlled to be set at one of multiple bias levels and is arranged to simultaneously apply the same bias to each of the light-conditioning LC regions, and a first electrode that is arranged to apply a first fixed reference bias to the first and second light-conditioning LC regions, a second electrode that is arranged to apply a second fixed reference bias to the third light-conditioning LC region, a method for switching an input beam to an output port and attenuating the input beam using said LC structure, said method comprising the steps of:

controlling the control electrode as the first electrode applies the first fixed reference bias and the second electrode applies the second fixed reference bias;

passing the input beam through said second light-conditioning LC region of the LC structure and changing a polarization state of the input beam;

directing a primary component of the input beam along a first optical path and a residual component of the input beam along a second optical path based on the polarization state of the input beam;

passing the primary component of the input beam through said first light-conditioning LC regions of the LC structure and changing a polarization state of the primary component; and

directing a first component of the primary component to an output port, wherein the first component of the primary component has a lower intensity than the primary component.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

passing the primary component of the input beam through a beam polarization separator that separates the primary component into the first component and a second component that is directed to a loss port.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

passing the primary component of the input beam through an absorptive polarizer that allows the first component of the primary component to pass through but absorbs a second component of the primary component.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

passing the residual component of the input beam through said third light-conditioning LC regions of the LC structure and changing a polarization state of the residual component; and

directing a first component of the residual component to an output port, wherein the first component of the residual component has a lower intensity than the residual component.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

passing the residual component of the input beam through a beam polarization separator that separates the residual component into the first component and a second component that is directed to a loss port.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

passing the residual component of the input beam through an absorptive polarizer that allows the first component of the residual component to pass through but absorbs a second component of the residual component.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the input beam is separated into the primary component and the residual component using a birefringent crystal.