摘要:
Apparatus and method are provided for causing different groups of particles from an accelerated electron or positron beam to interact exclusively in different sections of a free electron laser. The sections may be one or several amplifiers and an oscillator. The electron beam of a single accelerator used to excite a free electron laser is directed to traverse first an amplifier section or a sequence of amplifier sections and thereafter is directed into an oscillator section where the electron beam induces lasing. If the beam source is pulsed, this invention produces the proper time synchronization of electron and laser pulses. Specifically, delay times between optical pulses are employed among the oscillator and the amplifier or amplifiers to cause the laser to oscillate on the appropriate subharmonic or subharmonics of the accelerator repetition rate so that the intervening electron pulses are used only in the amplifier or amplifiers.
摘要:
A set of three gratings may be operated in a vernier loop fashion to select a particular wavelength from a wavelength division multiplexed system. As a result, an optical add/drop multiplexer may be provided that can be tuned to select a desired wavelength. In one embodiment, the tuning may be done thermo-optically.
摘要:
Optoelectronic and photonic devices are formed by employing polymer materials that have a lower glass transition temperature (Tg) than the nominal operating temperature. By using such materials, the local or segmental mobility is increased so that local stress is eliminated or minimized on the polymer material, making performance more robust. The current invention involves use of a polymer in an optical device in an operating temperature range in the region above Tg, where the polymer segments between crosslinks are allowed local freedom of movement; however, large-scale movement of the material may be restricted by the crosslinked structure of the polymer material. The temperature operation point of a device constructed according to the invention is thus preferably distanced from both the viscoelastic region near Tg and from the glassy region below Tg; such that the device is operated in a region where viscoelastic effects do not significantly affect the materials system, and time-dependent responses of the polymer are minimized or eliminated. Device operation can thus achieve minimum degradation and show improved performance attributes.
摘要:
A semiconductor laser diode mounted to a heat sink body has a thermally resistive layer located between the two in order to provide a specified thermal impedance that balances the contrary responses to laser aging and changes in drive current. The required thermal impedance is determined by experimental trial on a plurality of identically mounted test structures differing only in their thermally resistive layer impedances, which are then operated to cause laser aging. The optical mode frequency output from the laser diodes in the test devices are measured under normal operating conditions at least before and after the laser aging, and the thermal impedance value that would result in a substantially zero change in laser output is calculated from these measurements. The resistive layer's thickness and/or doping level may be used to select the desired thermal impedance. As a result, the mounted laser device with this layer is characterized by an effective refractive index of the laser diode that remains substantially constant as the laser ages with constant operating conditions, and thus the device has an age-stable output frequency.
摘要:
A thermally wavelength tunable laser having selectively activated gratings includes a core, more than one periodic arrangement adjacent to the core, and thermo-optical material adjacent to each periodic arrangement. At an off temperature, the refractive index of the periodic arrangement and the adjacent thermo-optical material is the same. By selectively changing the temperature and hence the refractive index in the thermo-optical material adjacent to a selected periodic arrangement, the selected periodic arrangement forms a diffraction grating which can be tuned over a selected wavelength range. By selecting different periodic arrangements, different, non-overlapping wavelength ranges can be selected and the laser can be tuned over a broad range of wavelengths.
摘要:
Tunable add-drop and cross connect devices include materials with negative refractive index dependence on temperature and temperature independent coincidence between modes of an athermal ring resonator and a set of specified frequencies, e.g. for DWDM telecommunications channels. The free spectral range may be adjusted to equal a rational fraction of the specified frequency interval. The operating frequency may be selected without substantially tuning the resonator modes by a thermo-optically tuned feedback element having a waveguide pair with differential thermal response. The operating frequency may be induced to hop digitally between the specified frequencies.
摘要:
A tapered waveguide couples optical waveguides of different sizes in a multi-chip optical assembly. In a particular embodiment, a resonator containing a semiconductor diode amplifier is coupled to a planar waveguide structure that optically couples to an optical fiber. A single-mode semiconductor laser waveguide is flip-chip bonded to a substrate and couples to a silica waveguide structure that couples to a single-mode tantala waveguide. In a further embodiment, high-index material is provided in a gap between chips. In another embodiment, polymer material is used in the waveguide structure to modify thermal characteristics of the waveguide structure.
摘要:
Optoelectronic and photonic devices are formed by employing polymer materials that have a lower glass transition temperature (Tg) than the nominal operating temperature. By using such materials, the local or segmental mobility is increased so that local stress is eliminated or minimized on the polymer material, making performance more robust. The current invention involves use of a polymer in an optical device in an operating temperature range in the region above Tg, where the polymer segments between crosslinks are allowed local freedom of movement; however, large-scale movement of the material may be restricted by the crosslinked structure of the polymer material. The temperature operation point of a device constructed according to the invention is thus preferably distanced from both the viscoelastic region near Tg and from the glassy region below Tg; such that the device is operated in a region where viscoelastic effects do not significantly affect the materials system, and time-dependent responses of the polymer are minimized or eliminated. Device operation can thus achieve minimum degradation and show improved performance attributes.
摘要:
Optical energy transfer devices and energy guiding devices use an electric field to control energy propagation using a class of poled structures in solid material in channel dropping filter and splitter applications. The poled structures, which may form gratings in thin film or bulk configurations, may be combined with waveguide structures. Electric fields applied to the poled structures control routing of optical energy. In a particular embodiment, an electrode confronts a solid material and bridges at least two elements of a grating disposed transverse of two waveguide segments and overlaps evanescent fields of optical energy in one of the waveguide segments. A switchable grating consists of a poled material with an alternating domain structure of specific period. In a further embodiment there may be an optically active cladding between a grating and a waveguide. Additional electrodes may be provided for independent tuning of the cladding and the grating structure. When an electric field is applied across the periodic structure, a Bragg grating is formed by the electro-optic effect, reflecting optical radiation with a certain bandwidth around a center wavelength. The grating may be used by itself, or in combination with other gratings to form integrated structures.
摘要:
A new class of energy interaction devices, particularly optical energy transfer devices and energy guiding devices, use an energy field, particularly an electric field, applied to a poled structure to control energy propagation in a solid material. The poled structures, which may form gratings in thin film or bulk configurations, may be combined with waveguide structures to guide energy beams such as optical or acoustic beams. Electric fields applied to the poled structures, such as electrically-activated gratings, control routing of optical energy. Optical devices include but are not limited to, frequency-selective switchable- and adjustably-tunable reflectors, splitters, directional couplers, frequency-tunable switches and efficient beam combiners, as well as polarized beam combiners, am and fm modulators, mode selectors, energy transfer devices, optical data readers, panel display devices, and waveguide/reflector switching arrays. Variable reflectivity in a grating and adjustable tunability is obtained by a poled structure under the influence of an adjustable field, producing a spatial gradient in an adjustable propagation velocity in the solid material.