Connecting structures comprising heated flexures and optical packages incorporating the same

• Main Authors: PIECH GARRETT ANDREW, BLANDING DOUGLASS L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.10.2010
• Subjects: BLASTING; BRAKES; CLUTCHES; COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

Particular embodiments of the present invention relate generally to connecting structures comprising heated flexures for aligning a first component with a second component. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an optical package includes a laser, a wavelength conversion device, a mirror and a connecting structure. The mirror reflects a laser beam such that the laser beam is incident upon the wavelength conversion device. The connecting structure includes a structure base and three bipod flexures. Each of the bipod flexures includes first and second bipod legs extending from the structure base to the mirror. A heating element is thermally coupled to the first and second bipod legs. The bipod flexures are arranged in a tripod configuration such that changes in the length of the bipod legs alter the reflection of the laser beam from the mirror.