Multiport switch for optical performance monitor
Granted: July 20, 2010
Patent Number:
7760972
The present invention provides a switch assembly for use with a single-port OPM to realize a multi-port OPM having improved reliability. In one embodiment, an N×1 optical switch assembly, wherein N is an integer greater than one, is provided. The optical switch assembly includes N optical input ports, N micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) variable optical attenuators (VOAs), where each MEMS VOA is optically coupled to a respective optical input port and is operable between an on…
Fiber amplifier with one single mode core having modified gain spectrum
Granted: July 13, 2010
Patent Number:
RE41438
Disclosed is a fiber amplifier system including a gain fiber having a single-mode core containing dopant ions capable of producing stimulated emission of light at wavelength ?s when pumped with light of wavelength ?p. Absorbing ion filtering means is operatively associated with the gain fiber to alter the gain curve. If the absorbing ions are the same as the gain ions of the gain fiber, the system further includes means for preventing pump light from exciting the gain ions of the…
Optical devices with cascaded liquid crystal elements
Granted: June 8, 2010
Patent Number:
7733556
An optical beam processing device with two serially disposed birefringent elements, each element having its own direction of orientation. At least one element is pixelated with electrodes activated by control signals. The directions of orientation of the elements are aligned such that the phase shift imparted to the beam by an unactivated pixel of one element, cancels the phase shift imparted to the beam by the other element, such that the beam traversing that pixel undergoes zero phase…
High power semiconductor laser diode
Granted: May 11, 2010
Patent Number:
7715457
Semiconductor laser diodes, particularly high power AlGaAs-based ridge-waveguide laser diodes, are often used in opto-electronics as so-called pump lasers for fiber amplifiers in optical communication lines. To provide the desired high power output and stability of such a laser diode and avoid degradation during use, the present invention concerns an improved design of such a device, the improvement in particular significantly minimizing or avoiding (front) end section degradation of…
Continuously tunable optical dispersion compensation synthesizers using cascaded etalons
Granted: April 27, 2010
Patent Number:
7706045
Described is a method for designing individual stages of a multiple cascaded etalon TDC device to allow continuous thermo-optic tuning over a desired range without inducing incremental signal distortion due to uncontrolled and unpredictable dispersion of the TDC during tuning. This allows the signal to transmit without encountering periods of incremental distortion or dark spots. The method includes prior knowledge of each etalon stage, after full assembly, for spectral group delay…
Analyzing tunable optical filters using tunable source
Granted: April 6, 2010
Patent Number:
7692793
The specification describes an optical wavelength monitor/analyzer that uses a cost effective wavelength reference source. The wavelength reference source is a nominally fixed wavelength laser with inherent tunability over a very limited wavelength range, i.e. a few nanometers. Tuning is effected by changing the temperature of the laser. The limited range is useful for making multiple wavelength measurements in the context of analyzing wavelength drift in tunable optical filters.
Lithium niobate optical modulator
Granted: April 6, 2010
Patent Number:
7693356
An optical modulator comprises a Z-cut lithium niobate substrate on which is formed a Mach-Zehnder interferometer having two generally parallel waveguides lying beneath a buffer layer of dielectric material. First and second ground electrodes and a hot electrode are disposed on the buffer layer, the first and second ground electrodes being spaced either side of the hot electrode, the hot electrode and the first ground electrode being proximate to at least apart of the respective…
Apparatus, system and method for a tunable optical filter
Granted: April 6, 2010
Patent Number:
7693364
A tunable optical filter comprises an optical switch having a single first optical port and a plurality of second optical ports; a plurality of band pass filters, each one of the band pass filters optically coupled to a respective second optical port; and an optical multiplexer having a plurality of inputs and a single output, each input optically coupled to a respective band pass filter, wherein the optical switch delivers a plurality of optical channels to a selected one of the band…
Coupling devices and methods for stacked laser emitter arrays
Granted: March 16, 2010
Patent Number:
7680170
Methods and devices for coupling the output light energy of one or more stacked laser emitter bar arrays using a beam interleaver and beam combiner to achieve high brightness and coupling efficiency. Some embodiments may include wavelength control devices and methods such as VIGs and the like.
Apodised binary Bragg grating
Granted: March 16, 2010
Patent Number:
7680374
An apodised Bragg grating comprises a base grating section formed by a base order 5 periodic pattern of marks and spaces. The Bragg grating further comprises one or more apodised grating sections that are formed by a periodic pattern of marks and spaces, each defined by the base order pattern from which at least some of the marks are missing. The determination of which marks are missing may be performed by combining the base order pattern with a higher order modulation envelope function.
Optoelectric subassembly
Granted: January 26, 2010
Patent Number:
7653274
An optoelectric subassembly including a receptacle assembly with an optoelectric device mounted therein to define a light axis. The receptacle assembly includes an optical fiber mounting structure defining an opening with an end of an optical fiber received therein. The mounting structure and opening are designed to position the received optical fiber with an end facet substantially perpendicular to the light axis. A first lens is mounted in the receptacle assembly adjacent the…
Electro-optic device packages
Granted: January 5, 2010
Patent Number:
7641400
A package design for electro-optic devices has been developed in which the substrate supporting the electro-optic element serves also as the base of the device housing. The electro-optic element is flip-chip bonded to the substrate. In a preferred embodiment the substrate is a multi-level wiring board.
High power semiconductor laser diode
Granted: November 24, 2009
Patent Number:
7623555
Semiconductor laser diodes, particularly high power ridge waveguide laser diodes, are often used in opto-electronics as so-called pump laser diodes for fiber amplifiers in optical communication lines. To provide the desired high power output and stability of such a laser diode and avoid degradation during use, the present invention concerns an improved design of such a device, the improvement concerns a method of suppressing the undesired first and higher order modes of the laser which…
