Abstract:
An improved optical isolator of the type having an input optical fiber, a first GRIN lens, a first polarizer, a optical rotator, a second polarizer, a second GRIN lens and an output optical fiber. Lithium niobate and lithium tantalate birefringent crystals are used for lowered costs and high performance. Improvements also include polishing the end of the input optical fiber at a slant and covering the end with a window coated with antireflection material. The surface of the GRIN lens facing the end of the input optical fiber is slant-polished reciprocally and spaced apart with gap which avoids Fabry-Perot interference.
Abstract:
An optical device which controls the strength of an optical signal from an input fiber to an output fiber responsive to a signal on a control terminal. The device has a first GRIN lens associated with the input fiber, a first birefringent polarizer, a liquid crystal cell, a second birefringent polarizer and a second GRIN lens associated with the output fiber. The liquid crystal cell, located between the first and second polarizers and connected to a control terminal, controllably rotates the optical signal from the optical axis of the first polarizer toward the optical axis of the second polarizer responsive to the signal on said control terminal. The operation of the device is independent of the polarization of the optical signal in the input fiber. Furthermore, the device can be operated as an optical switch or an optical attenuator by suitably arranging the axes of the polarizers and liquid crystal cell.
Abstract:
A low-cost, high performance 1.times.N fiber optic coupler where N>16 is presented. The coupler has a GRIN lens having an first optic fiber aligned with the optical axis of the lens at one end of the lens. The first optic fiber ends in a microlens. At the other end of the GRIN lens a bundle of tapered second optic fibers is centered on the optical axis of the lens.
Abstract:
An optically controlled integrated circuit device for microwave signalling/switching is configured of a microstrip structure formed on a thin layer of active semiconductor material, such as doped GaAs or silicon, that is disposed atop an insulator substrate. A gap is provided in the conductive strip and radiant energy is directed onto the exposed surface of the active layer therebeneath for the purpose of bridging the gap via a surface-generated charge carrier region.Electrical off-mode isolation in the gap is obtained by a narrow ribbon of conductive material disposed on the surface of the thin active layer at the gap between separated ends of the microstrip. This narrow ribbon is connected to a bias potential (e.g. ground), to create an isolation-enhancing depletion region in that portion of the active layer directly beneath the narrow ribbon. The thus generated depletion region provides input/output isolation in the gap between the separated ends of the microstrip.To turn the switch on, the gap is illuminated with a beam of light, in response to which electron-hole pairs in the semiconductor material of the active layer are generated. This generation of electron-hole pairs increases the carrier concentration, reduces the cross-sectional area of the depletion region and increases current flow in the gap, so that the separated ends of the microstrip are effectively electrically connected. To turn the device off, the beam of light is extinguished, cancelling the photo generated carrier and restoring the isolating depletion region.
Abstract:
A microwave transistor circuit includes a pair of field effect transistors connected in cascade via a standard 50 ohm transmission line having a length equal to one-half the wavelength of the operating frequency range of the circuit. Although the field effect transistors are individually unstable at microwave frequencies, by cascading these transistors the reverse transmission coefficient is sufficiently reduced to render the overall circuit unconditionally stable. In addition, the transmission line is opened to provide physical isolation between the transistors for d.c. bias isolation and a capacitor is connected therein to provide for RF continuity.
Abstract:
An oscillation control circuit in which the output of an unstabilized oscillator is controlled using a bulk acoustic wave resonator. The circuit includes a high and low frequency loop with the power output of the oscillator being divided and supplied along respective paths to the high and low frequency portions of the loop. The high frequency portion of the loop, which includes the BAW resonator, operates at the output frequency f.sub.0, which is equal to the sum of the oscillator frequency f.sub.1 and the frequency f.sub.2 of the low frequency portion of the loop. A first mixer receives the frequencies f.sub.0 and f.sub.1 and produces an output f.sub.2 in the low frequency portion of the loop, while a second mixer receives the frequencies f.sub.1 and f.sub.2 and produces an output f.sub.0 in the high frequency portion of the loop. In this way, as the oscillator output frequency f.sub.1 varies, the frequency f.sub.2 in the low portion of the frequency loop varies inversely, so that the up-down conversion performed by the system maintains f.sub.0 constant.
Abstract:
Miniature optical devices, including circulator array devices, are fabricated using thin film coating technology. A typical optical device includes two refraction elements arranged opposite each other along a propagation axis and coupled on opposite ends to first and second polarization orientation elements with first and second PBS elements are coupled to the first and second polarization orientation elements, respectively. The refraction elements include complementary Wollaston Prism elements or Rochon Prism elements. Each polarization orientation element includes a Faraday rotator element, and in some embodiments, a half-wave plate formed using thin film coating techniques. The Faraday rotator elements are periodically poled in some embodiments using selective poling techniques to create oppositely oriented magnetic domains so that polarization rotations of 45 degrees in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions can be simultaneously achieved on the same magnetic garnet. Periodically etched half-wave plates are used in some embodiments.
Abstract:
An EDFA with integrated input and output modules is presented. The integrated input module has a packaged pump laser diode mounted to the metal EDFA package to provide a heat sink for the pump laser diode which sends the pump laser light over a optical fiber section connected to the amplifying erbium-doped optical fiber section. The fiber section is formed from an optical fiber which better matches the transmission modes in the erbium-doped optical fiber section and has an end subsection of the single mode fiber for a larger numerical aperture. Collimating lenses also increase the coupling efficiency of the laser diode to the erbium-doped fiber section. The integrated output module has a photodiode with a tap filter to monitor the output power of the EDFA, an optical isolator to prevent interference in the erbium-doped optical fiber section. With a twin optical isolator, the integrated input and output modules can be arranged in different ways and combinations with the erbium-doped optical fiber section. The resulting EDFAs can be manufactured relatively inexpensively into an very small packages compared to current EDFA packages.
Abstract:
An EDFA with integrated input and output modules is presented. The integrated input module has a packaged pump laser diode mounted to the metal EDFA package to provide a heat sink for the pump laser diode which sends the pump laser light over a optical fiber section connected to the amplifying erbium-doped optical fiber section. The fiber section is formed from an optical fiber which better matches the transmission modes in the erbium-doped optical fiber section and has an end subsection of the single mode fiber for a larger numerical aperture. Collimating lenses also increase the coupling efficiency of the laser diode to the erbium-doped fiber section. The integrated output module has a photodiode with a tap filter to monitor the output power of the EDFA, an optical isolator to prevent interference in the erbium-doped optical fiber section. With a twin optical isolator, the integrated input and output modules can be arranged in different ways and combinations with the erbium-doped optical fiber section. The resulting EDFAs can be manufactured relatively inexpensively into an very small packages compared to current EDFA packages.
Abstract:
An EDFA with integrated input and output modules is presented. The integrated input module has a packaged pump laser diode mounted to the metal EDFA package to provide a heat sink for the pump laser diode which sends the pump laser light over a optical fiber section connected to the amplifying erbium-doped optical fiber section. The fiber section is formed from an optical fiber which better matches the transmission modes in the erbium-doped optical fiber section and has an end subsection of the single mode fiber for a larger numerical aperture. Collimating lenses also increase the coupling efficiency of the laser diode to the erbium-doped fiber section. The integrated output module has a photodiode with a tap filter to monitor the output power of the EDFA, an optical isolator to prevent interference in the erbium-doped optical fiber section. With a twin optical isolator, the integrated input and output modules can be arranged in different ways and combinations with the erbium-doped optical fiber section. The resulting EDFAs can be manufactured relatively inexpensively into an very small packages compared to current EDFA packages.