Receiver optical sub-assembly with reduced back reflection
Granted: January 27, 2005
Application Number:
20050018981
The invention relates to a receiver optical sub-assembly (ROSA) for use in an optical transceiver to convert optical signals transmitted along an optical fiber into electrical signals for use by a host device. Conventionally, light exiting the optical fiber inside an optical coupler of the ROSA encounters a refractive index mismatched interface, e.g. fiber/air, causing a portion of the light to be reflected directly back into the fiber. To minimize back reflections at the interface with…
Node for an optical network
Granted: December 23, 2004
Application Number:
20040258411
The architecture for a photonic transport network node provides for pass-through of selected channels in the absence of OEO conversion, dropping of selected other channels, and selective routing of the other dropped channels to a processing means that provides OEO conversion and 3R processing. Conveniently, these dropped channels may be multiplexed back into the switching fabric of the node to be directed in pass-through mode to any selected output destination port. The add channels are…
Coating for forming a high definition aperture
Granted: December 9, 2004
Application Number:
20040247906
An optical thin film stack for a dark aperture is deposited using thermal ion-assisted deposition (“IAD”). The IAD provides an energetic deposition of chromium and chromium oxide that results in a dark mirror optical thin film stack with superior etch properties. Edge definition is improved, and the edge profile is controllable by the selection of IAD parameters. An in situ IAD cleaning process can be used to clean the substrate sufficiently so that an intermediate adhesion…
Optical digital external modulator
Granted: December 2, 2004
Application Number:
20040240765
An optical digital external modulator having a cascaded arrangement of interferometers is provided. The optical modulator includes an electrode structure for applying an electric field to each interferometer in the cascade and biasing circuitry coupled to the electrode structure for biasing each interferometer at a predetermined bias point. In particular, each predetermined bias point is selected to be above quadrature and for providing improved transmission performance of digital data…
Optical transceiver bail latch
Granted: December 2, 2004
Application Number:
20040240801
The invention relates to a bail latching device for an opto-electronic transceiver, including a pivotal latching member and a bail. The bail includes ends extending at an acute angle from a plane defined by the side arms for pivoting the latching member when the bail is rotated from a rest position to a removal position. Ideally, in the rest position, the side arms of the bail extend downwardly on each side of a front end of the transceiver. In the removal position, the bail is parallel…
Polarization controller
Granted: November 18, 2004
Application Number:
20040228567
Polarization controlling elements equivalent to quarter and half waveplates are constructed from sequences of variable retarder plates having fixed retardation axes. An endless polarization control algorithm is provided.
Optical gain apparatus with pump source wavelength control
Granted: October 21, 2004
Application Number:
20040207913
An optical fiber laser has an output that is stabilized to adapt to changes in laser operating temperature. At the output of the laser a plurality of wavelength-selective stabilizing reflectors is provided, each having a reflectivity profile with a different center wavelength. The reflectors, typically Bragg gratings, have a relative degree of reflectivity and relative wavelength separation that results in the output power of the laser being at one or more of the reflector center…
Variable gain multi-stage optical amplifier
Granted: October 7, 2004
Application Number:
20040197105
A multistage optical amplifier is disclosed with programmable gain for operation in an automatic gain control mode that has a low noise figure or an optimal or near optimal noise figure. The programmable-gain optical amplifier has several amplifying stages separated by variable optical attenuators (VOAs) and may have mid-stage access devices (MSA) such as dispersion compensating fiber or optical add/drop modules. A method of selecting attenuation values for the VOAs for realizing low…
Heat sink with visible logo
Granted: September 30, 2004
Application Number:
20040190256
A heat sink is for an element to be cooled has a thermally conductive base and a plurality of thermally conductive pins or fins extending substantially perpendicular from the base, said pins or fins being arranged in a predetermined pattern. The pins at least partially frame thermally conductive projections extending substantially perpendicular from said base which forming a discernable logo having an upper surface and sides for providing plural cooling surfaces. In this instance the 3-D…
Integrated micro-optic architecture for combining and depolarizing plural polarized laser beams
Granted: September 23, 2004
Application Number:
20040184148
A multimode laser beam depolarization and combining architecture integrates a combiner for polarized multimode light beams with a multimode beam depolarizer, that produces a composite depolarized output beam optimized for application to a Raman optical amplifier. A high-order depolarizing 45° waveplate is used to effectively depolarize multimode laser beams produced by a Fabry-Perot (FP) laser. The high-order 45° waveplate has a length that achieves multi mode…
Solder bonding technique for assembling a tilted chip or substrate
Granted: September 23, 2004
Application Number:
20040182913
A method for solder bonding a photodiode or an array of photodiodes to a substrate, the photodiode(s) tilted at a predetermined angle, uses a pair solder bumps placed on a photodiode chip opposite a corresponding pair of solder pads placed on the substrate. When the photodiode chip is placed on the substrate, with the solder bumps therebetween, the solder is melted and undergoes a reflow over the surface of the pads. The shape of the pads and the location of the solder bumps on the pads…
Laser device
Granted: August 26, 2004
Application Number:
20040165639
A laser apparatus is disclosed utilizing a laser diode having a reflective back facet and a front facet having a reflectance of less than about 1% for emitting an optical beam at a fundamental frequency along an optical path. A collimating lens is provided for collimating the optical beam into a collimated beam. A transmission grating is optically coupled to receive the collimated beam and returns a portion of the collimated beam back into the laser diode by means of diffraction through…
Planar lightwave circuit package
Granted: August 19, 2004
Application Number:
20040161186
An optical packaging arrangement combines a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) having an array of waveguides thereon, an array of photodetectors on a substrate to receive light beams coupled out of the PLC by the output ports, and a collimating faceplate, having a plurality of glass cores, extending between the PLC and the photodetector array for coupling the output light beams to respective photodetectors. The faceplate forms a cover for a hermetic cavity encompassing the photodetectors.…
Slotted electrode electro-optic modulator
Granted: August 5, 2004
Application Number:
20040151414
A co-planar waveguide interferometric electro-optic modulator is disclosed. A Z-cut lithium niobate electro-optic substrate includes a first and second waveguide that are formed in the lithium niobate electro-optic substrate. An elongate RF electrode at least partially covers one of the waveguides. A slotted electrode is disclosed formed by two elongate substantially-parallel electrodes one of which is at least partially covers the other of the waveguides. At least one electrode is…
Modular optical components
Granted: August 5, 2004
Application Number:
20040151444
The invention relates to optical modules for use in larger electro-optic components, such as erbium doped fiber amplifiers. One aspect of the invention relates to the optical module including input and/or output fiber tube ferrules surrounded by glass mounting sleeves secured to a metal housing using a suitable adhesive. Preferably, the optical module includes one or more optical elements, such as isolators, WDM filters and beam splitters, for effecting light traveling therethrough…
Opaque flake for covert security applications
Granted: August 5, 2004
Application Number:
20040151827
Opaque flakes, such as pigment or bright flake used in paints and inks, have a selected shape and/or other indicia to provide a covert security feature to an object. In some embodiments the composition includes base pigment, and the opaque covert flakes match the visual characteristics of the base pigment. In another embodiment, opaque covert flakes are mixed in the carrier with base pigment at a concentration sufficient to avoid changing the appearance of the composition. In another…
Laser device for nonlinear conversion of light
Granted: July 8, 2004
Application Number:
20040131093
A laser apparatus for nonlinear conversion of light is disclosed utilizing a laser diode having a reflective back facet and a front facet having a reflectance of less than about 1% for emitting a multifrequency optical beam, and a nonlinear optical element for receiving the multifrequency optical beam and for generating a frequency-converted radiation. An external frequency-selective reflector is provided for power and spectral stabilization of the multifrequency optical beam, and for…
Contact structure for a semiconductor component
Granted: June 24, 2004
Application Number:
20040120371
An improved electrical contact structure can be manufactured by plating a component of a first material such as molybdenum with a second material such as copper or silver. The first and second materials are selected to provide a desired effective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and electrical conductivity. The contact structure can be made very thin for implementations in which multiple lasers are to be stacked closely together. The manufacturing processing can be carried out very…
Multi-stage filtered optical amplifier
Granted: June 17, 2004
Application Number:
20040114216
A multistage amplifier is disclosed for amplifying light over a wavelength band. A first and second span of amplifying fiber are optically coupled and a gain flattening filter (GFF) in-line with one of two spans of amplifying fiber is provided for attenuating certain wavelengths of amplified light. A first gain spectral response of the first and second spans of amplifying fiber including the GFF are measured over the wavelength band, and the shape of a ripple that oscillates as a…
Receiver optical sub-assembly
Granted: June 3, 2004
Application Number:
20040105627
The invention relates to a receiver optical sub-assembly (ROSA) for use in a high-speed small-form factor transceiver. The ROSA, according to the present invention, includes a stacked chip design in which a semiconductor micro-bench, upon which the photodiode and trans-impedance amplifier are mounted, is disposed perpendicular to the direction that the light travels. A flexible electrical connector is attached to the semiconductor micro-bench for electrically connecting the ROSA to a…
