Abstract:
A hang tag is disclosed. The hang tag has first and second surfaces, which are preferably planar. A slot is defined between the first and second surfaces. Desirably, the slot extends at least about 0.25 inches in one direction and at least about 1 inch in another direction. Also disclosed is a method and an apparatus for automatically applying a hang tag to an elongated object (e.g., an electrical cord such as a cord set), with a machine that is suitable for applying a securement strap to an object. The method includes providing a hang tag having a slot therein. The hang tag is aligned with the machine so that when the securement strap is ejected from the machine, it passes through the slot, forms a loop around the elongated object, and is tensioned around the object. As such, the securement strap serves to attach the hang tag to the elongated object in a stationary manner.
Abstract:
An optical device includes an array of optical grating couplers and a plurality of single-core fiber couplers located over a planar substrate. The optical grating couplers of the array are located to optically couple in a one-to-one manner to optical cores of a multi-core fiber or optical cable having an end located adjacent to the surface. Each single-core fiber coupler includes a planar optical waveguide connecting a corresponding one of the optical couplers of the array to an edge of the substrate.
Abstract:
A method of optically equalizing a multi-level (amplitude or phase) optical signal through the effect of an optical equalizer wherein the optical equalizer (OEQ) is placed at either a transmission end or a receiver end of the optical communications link and a tap delay characteristic of the OEQ need not be determined by symbol spacing, rather it may advantageously be adjusted to desirably compensate non-linear mapping performed in the modulation process or simultaneous operation on a plurality of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) channels.
Abstract:
A tunable optical dispersion compensator (TODC) having a silica arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) directly coupled at its input to a Mach-Zehnder interferometer device and at its output to a polymer thermo-optic lens.
Abstract:
A low-ripple optical device comprising an optical demultiplexer structure and an optical multiplexer structure cascaded together wherein one of the structures exhibits n passband maxima and the other device exhibits n+1 passband maxima.
Abstract:
An orthogonal heterodyne in-band optical signal-to-noise-ratio (OSNR) monitoring method and apparatus that use the polarization characteristics of two narrow bandwidth filtered optical spectral components which is not only insensitive to the effects of polarization mode dispersion (PMD) and inter-channel cross-phase modulation (XPM) induced nonlinear polarization scattering, but also independent of bit rate and modulation format. The monitoring method is demonstrated for both linear and nonlinear systems.
Abstract:
Wavelength-selective switches (WSSs) having embedded multiplexer or demultiplexer functionality include a stack of planar waveguide circuits (PLCs) in which all but one of the PLCs have identical features consisting of a single waveguide connected to a free space region, further connected to a waveguide array that terminates at the PLC edge facet, which are placed at the front focal plane of a lens, generating a spectrally resolved optical signal at the back focal plane of the lens. Due to the use of a single lens, the spectrally resolved optical signal of all the PLCs are superimposed, differing only by propagation direction. A tilting micro-mirror array at the back focal plane reflects the spectral components, implementing a wavelength-selective switch. The reflected light can couple to any of the remaining PLCs, for multiplexing, or to the different PLC in the stack, which implements the multiplexer/demultiplexer.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for mitigating intersymbol interference (ISI) from narrow-band optical filtering and improving transmission performance by filtering multichannel optical signals using an optical filter device that exhibits a desired loss ripple in the transmittance profile of the filter passband.
Abstract:
A free-space optical switch for switching light beams between waveguides of planar lightwave circuits (PLCs). Switching is accomplished using a combination of lenses and micromirrors. The lenses and the controlled tilt of the micromirrors can establish a one-to-one interconnection path between waveguides of the PLCs.