摘要:
A free space optical communication system is disclosed whereby the optics of a transmit telescope are manipulated using adaptive optics to precompensate for wave front distortion of a light beam transmitted by a transmit telescope. Wave front distortion is manifested at the receive telescope as a change in at least one characteristic of the image of the received signal such as, for example, a reduction in the amplitude of the received signal. A mirror of the transmit telescope is deformed in such a way as to reduce the wave front distortion and correspondingly increase the resulting amplitude of the received signal.
摘要:
A free space optical communication system is disclosed whereby the received power at the receive optical fiber is reduced by adjusting the transmitted light beam and the receive optical fiber with respect to each other when a specified power threshold is exceeded so that they intersect not at a point of focus, but at a point of divergence of the transmitted beam. In one embodiment, the transmitted beam may be diverged by moving the transmit optical fiber to a point in front of the focal plane of the transmit telescope along the longitudinal axis of that telescope until at least a portion of the beam is incident upon the receive optical fiber. This causes the transmitted beam to diverge and, accordingly, the cross-sectional area to increase at the point where it is incident upon the receive telescope. As a result, the cross-sectional power per unit area of the transmitted beam at the receive telescope is reduced which correspondingly reduces the power that is incident upon the receive optical fiber. In another embodiment, instead of moving the optical fiber at the transmit telescope, the optical fiber located at the focal plane of the receive telescope may be moved to either a point in front of or to a point to the rear of the focal plane of the receive telescope along the longitudinal axis of the receive telescope. Since the maximum possible received power is achieved at the focal point within the focal plane, any movement of the receive optical fiber away from the focal point along the longitudinal axis of the receive telescope will result in a reduction of the received power.
摘要:
An optical device for performing at least one Boolean logic operation. The optical device has at least a first and a second input signal and at least one output signal. The optical device includes at least one interferometer for receiving the at least a first and second input signals. The device also has at least one optical amplifier for creating a phase difference between the first and second inputs to generate the output signal to perform at least one Boolean logic operation.
摘要:
A free space optical communication system is disclosed whereby the signal amplitude incident upon a receive optical fiber of a receive telescope is varied by dithering either the light beam transmitted by a transmit telescope or the receive optical fiber when a decrease in received signal amplitude is measured so as to effect the incidence of the maximum transmitted signal amplitude upon the receive optical fiber at the receive focal plane. In one embodiment, the transmit optical fiber is dithered in a pattern, causing the transmitted beam to oscillate in a corresponding pattern. In response, the received signal amplitude of the image on the focal plane of the receive telescope also oscillates in the same pattern. By comparing the phase of the received signal with the phase of the movement of the transmitted beam, the origin of the transmitted beam dithering pattern can be moved until the maximum amplitude of the transmitted beam is incident upon the receive optical fiber. In another embodiment, the receive optical fiber is dithered in a variable pattern to locate the point of maximum received signal amplitude. Using the aforementioned phase comparison technique, the receive optical fiber is moved progressively closer to the point of maximum amplitude of the received signal on the receive focal plane. In cases where atmospheric disturbances alter the path of the transmitted beam, the transmitted beam and the receive optical fiber may both be dithered to achieve coincidence between the point of maximum signal amplitude and the receive optical fiber.
摘要:
Measuring and setting techniques for relative component (50 and 55) orientations and separations is accomplished by projecting a coherent light beam into one end of a gap (60) formed between facing surfaces (52,57) of adjacent components. This light beam projection causes a corresponding light ray pattern to be projected out of an opposite end of the gap. The arrangement of light rays in the resulting pattern (30) is indicative of the relative positions of, and distance between, the facing surfaces. Such a projected pattern is used for determining the relative positions between adjacent components, alone, or as feedback for adjusting such component positions to achieve a desired orientation and/or separation distance between the components. The light ray pattern (30) projected on the detector (10) is produced by one or a combination of (1) reflection of the light beam (25) from the respective surfaces (52) and (57), (2) portions of the light beam (25) that travel trough the gap unhindered, i.e., not reflected by the facing surfaces (52 and 57), and (3) light diffraction. Typically, the projected pattern (30) includes at least one primary region of light intensity caused by reflection and/or unhindered portions of the light beam (25) superimposed over secondary regions of varying light intensities caused by diffraction of the light beam (25).
摘要:
An optical planar waveguide notch filter employs a waveguide with first, second and third regions. The first and third regions have structures for propagating an optical signal in a first transmission mode. The second region is located between the first and third regions and has a structure in which an optical signal propagates in the first transmission mode as well as at least one other higher order transmission mode. The structure of the second region further couples a particular wavelength band of the signal propagating in the first transmission mode to at least one of the other transmission modes. This coupling causes an attenuation of energy of such bandwidth in the signal propagating in the first transmission mode. As a result, the signal propagating from the second region to the third region in the first transmission mode is a notch filtered signal possessing an attenuation at the particular wavelength band.
摘要:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for aligning and maintaining the alignment of the transmitting unit and the receiving unit in an optical wireless communication system. The receiving unit includes an optical bundle positioned at the focal point of an objective optic element. The optical bundle is comprised of an array of optical fibers, arranged surrounding the receiving fiber. The receiving unit also includes a number of detectors that measure the optical signal strength on a corresponding fiber in the optical bundle. The array of fibers is used to detect the location of the received signal relative to the receiving optical fiber and to provide feedback to adjust the orientation of the optical bundle to optimize the received signal strength. When misalignment occurs between the received signal and the receiving fiber, some of the incident received signal will be captured by one or more of the outer optical fibers. The amplitude of each of the generated signals are then compared to each other, thereby giving a direction in which to drive the optical bundle back into alignment with the received signal. The present invention provides automatic tracking using the information-carrying optical signal, without the need for a separate laser.
摘要:
A free-space wireless optical communication system is disclosed that utilizes a telescope design (300) having aspherical mirrors (310,320), such as a Ritchey-Chretien (RC) telescope. RC telescopes are characterized by a concave primary mirror (310) and a convex secondary mirror (320) each having a hyperbolic shape. The disclosed mirror configuration provides a larger focal plane that allows for automatic alignment between a transmitter and receiver with a stationary or fixed mirror design, further contributing to a lower fabrication cost. Among other benefits, the larger focal plane permits an n x n fiber array (350) to be positioned in the focal plane (330) of the RC optical telescope, thereby enabling point-to-multipoint communications with a single optical telescope. Each fiber in the n x n fiber array of a transmitting telescope can be focused on a different receiving telescope in a wireless optical communication system. In this manner, each fiber in the n x n fiber array sends optical energy over a distinct path to address a given receiving telescope. Likewise, for a multipoint-to-point communication system, an n x n fiber array can be positioned in the focal plane (330) of the RC optical receiving telescope, with each fiber in the n x n fiber array receiving optical energy over a distinct path from a given transmitting telescope. A number of fabrication techniques are also disclosed that permit the optical telescopes of the present invention to be fabricated at a reasonable cost that permits such optical telescopes to be deployed in wireless optical communication systems.
摘要:
A free-space wireless optical communication system is disclosed that utilizes a telescope design having aspherical mirrors, such as a Richey-Chetrien (RC) telescope. RC telescopes are characterized by a concave primary mirror and a convex secondary mirror each having a hyperbolic shape. The mirror configuration of the present invention allows the primary and secondary mirrors to be positioned closer together than conventional designs, allowing for a very compact system. The disclosed mirrors can be thin and lightweight, allowing for a lightweight telescope unit. The mirror configuration of the present invention provides a larger focal plane, allowing for automatic alignment between a transmitter and receiver with a stationary or fixed mirror design, further contributing to a lower fabrication cost, and can be fabricated with large diameters, allowing the transmission of high beam intensities at eye-safe levels since the energy is spread over a large area. A number of fabrication techniques are disclosed that permit the optical telescopes of the present invention to be fabricated at a reasonable cost that permits such optical telescopes to be deployed in wireless optical communication systems.