Patent attributes
The invention refers to electrically controlled optical switching devices which are based on the use of a layer of dielectric and transparent viscoelastic material (G) located between transparent first (ES1) and transparent second (ES2) electrode structures. According to the invention, the first (ES1) and second (ES2) electrode structures are arranged in a manner that the thickness of the layer of the viscoelastic material (G) can be electrically altered maintaining the thickness of said layer substantially equal. This makes it possible to realize a generic, electrically controlled variable thickness plate (30). The generic variable thickness plate (30) can be further used to create optical switching devices based on a Fabry Perot Interferometer or a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer.
