| 摘要 |
A bubble optical switch includes a switching chamber, a static bubble drum, and a quenching pipe. The static bubble drum is adapted to contain a static bubble. In the inactive state, the static bubble remains within the static bubble drum and the switching chamber is filled with index matching fluid. To activate the switch, heat is introduced expanding the static bubble into the switching chamber displacing the index matching fluid with vapor. Then, the optical signal is reflected from the wall of the switching chamber. When the heat is removed, the static bubble contracts back into the static bubble drum. Because the temperature required to expand the static bubble is lower than the temperature required to nucleate a bubble from the fluid, the reliability and lifetime of the switch is increased. Further, due to the properties of the contracting static bubble, no residual bubble forms, thereby alleviating problems associated with residual bubbles of the prior art bubble switches.
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