Polarization independent transmissive/reflective optical switch

Abstract From the Canadian patent

In an optical fibre system, an optical fibre is monitored to determine if a transmitted signal is being received at a receiving end. A bi-modal optical switch, located between the laser transmitter and receiver operates in a first transmitting mode to, allow a transmitted signal to pass through and in a second reflecting mode to reflect back, the transmitted signal to the transmitting end. A monitor at the transmitting end monitors, the fibre for the absence or presence of the reflected signal. The switch can be used to, remotely monitor the receiver in an optical fibre link to control handshaking , between two, computers to remove idle sections from an optical fibre communications …