{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9817296","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9817296","title":"Optical router having optical routing nodes of four bi-directional optical switches","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2016-09-29T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-11-14T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["G02F","B82Y","G02F","G02F","G02F","H04B","H04Q","G02F","G02F","G02F","G02F","H04J","H04J","H04J","H04Q","H04Q"],"num_claims":44,"abstract":"An optical routing element may include a planar dielectric photonic crystal which includes a lattice of holes having a first linear defect adjacent a second linear defect, with the two defects being separated by a central row of lattice holes. The first linear defect in the lattice of holes may form a first single mode line defect waveguide, and the second linear defect in the lattice of holes may form a second single mode line defect waveguide. Optical energy may be selectively coupled between the first and second waveguides across the central row of lattice holes. A free-carrier injector may be included to inject free-carriers into the dielectric photonic crystal, activation of which may alter selectivity of the optical coupling between the first and second waveguides. A plurality of optical routing elements with associated free-carrier injectors may be interconnected to form a bi-directional optical routing array."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Optical router having optical routing nodes of four bi-directional optical switches","description":"An optical routing element may include a planar dielectric photonic crystal which includes a lattice of holes having a first linear defect adjacent a second linear defect, with the two defects being s","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9817296","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9817296","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Optical router having optical routing nodes of four bi-directional optical switches\" (US-9817296). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9817296","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9817296","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9817296","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T15:11:44.618Z"}