Abstract: The specification describes thermo-optically controlled waveguides where the thermo-optic control is a heater strip precisely aligned to the waveguide core by using the heater strip as an etch mask to define at least part of the core/upper cladding structure. In one embodiment the heater strip mask is larger than the underlying waveguide core so as to produce, on etching, a core surrounded with a minimum of cladding material on the sidewalls of the core, and a confined heat channel between the waveguide core and the heater strip. In a second embodiment the heater strip is used as an etch mask to define a core cladding stack, and a third cladding layer is deposited to clad the sidewalls of the core. In this embodiment, the cladding material in the stack can be optimized for thermal conductivity, and the third cladding material can be optimized for thermo-optic sensitivity.

Abstract: A panel mounting assembly for use with optical fiber connectors is disclosed. The panel mounting assembly includes at least one receptacle, and a clip constructed and arranged to be mated to the receptacle. The receptacle is provided with a body portion having a first end and a spaced second end, a pair of spaced sides extending between the ends, and at least one optical fiber connector opening defined within the body. The clip is provided with at least one elongate tongue, the tongue having a spaced series of teeth extending at least partially along the length thereof. The tongue of the clip is intended to be received in at least one elongate slot defined within the body of the receptacle, and a tooth is formed within the elongate slot of the body for being engaged with the teeth of the at least one tongue of the clip.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fiber optic coupler which includes a fused, stretched, and twisted biconical tapered region; a first pair of fiber pigtail ends extending from a first end of said biconical tapered region; a second pair of fiber pigtail ends extending from a second end of said biconical tapered region; and polarization dependent loss preclusion means disposed within said biconical tapered region. Further disclosed is a method for forming the polarization insensitive coupler as described.

Abstract: A connector boot for attachment to a flanged BTW-LC connector has extending at an angle therefrom a trigger member. The trigger on the boot acts as an anti-snag device and makes removal of the connector easier. The boot has a bore extending therethrough having an undercut portion for gripping the connector flange, and at least one key in the bore for mating with slots in the flange of the connector for preventing the boot and trigger from turning relative to the connector. In an embodiment of the invention, a second boot parallel to the first boot is joined thereto by a web, and a trigger member extends from the web at an angle to the boots.

Abstract: An optical waveguide sensor using an intermediate layer between the preformed optical core and the optical cladding material. This intermediate layer comprises a material that is doped with a sensor material to respond to an analyte of interest by luminescing or by developing optical absorption in the transmission region of the core fiber and that has a refractive index greater than the preformed core. Two configurations provide sensors for ionizing radiation capable of measuring the dose rate and the integrated deposited dose.

Abstract: Improvements in a biosensor of the type having reservoirs or wells for analyzing a biological liquid are disclosed. A biosensor includes a waveguide placed between a plurality of members such as plates at least one of the members being formed to define the walls of the reservoirs where the liquid is biologically analyzed. The walls of the reservoirs are made of an inert, opaque material such as a metal. Although the biosensor may include a gasket, the gasket is associated with the members and waveguide in such a way (e.g., by recessing the gasket into a channel formed into a metal plate) so that the gasket does not form any significant portion of the reservoir wall. Waveguides of varying composition (e.g., plastic, quartz or glass) may be associated with the members to form the biosensor. The metal plate of the biosensor has input and output ports for infusing, draining, or oscillating the liquid to be analyzed in the reaction reservoir.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a splitter/combiner is disclosed. The splitter/combiner includes a first birefringent wedge having a first optic axis and a first wedge angle and a second birefringent wedge having a second optic axis and a second wedge angle. The second birefringent wedge is optically coupled with the first birefringent wedge. The second wedge angle is complementary to the first wedge angle. The second optic axis is perpendicular to the first optic axis such that an extraordinary signal for the first birefringent wedge is an ordinary signal for the second birefringent wedge. The first and second birefringent wedges establish a first path for a first portion of a first optical signal and establish a second path for a second portion of the first optical signal. The first path and the second path are separated by an angle. The first optical signal travels from the first birefringent wedge to the second birefringent wedge.

Abstract: A connector adapter including a light emitting element for emitting a laser beam and connected with a plug having an optical fiber, whereby the laser beam emitted from the light emitting element is introdued into the optical fiber. The connector adapter comprises a shutter member fixed in a connector and including a base portion having a first spring portion and a shutter portion connected to the base portion. The base portion undergoes elastic deformation at the first spring portion so that the shutter portion recedes from the optical path of the laser beam when the plug is pushed into the adapter to be attached thereto, and is restored from the elastic deformation so that the shutter portion intercepts the optical path of the laser beam when the plug is drawn out of the adapter to be detached therefrom.

Abstract: A passive optical network having a plurality of optical splitters/combiners each comprising first and second through ports and at least one drop port. The through ports of the plurality of splitters/combiners are concatenated to form a linear arrangement having two end through ports. Optical signals may be transmitted between the end through ports by means of the linear arrangement; and signals may be transmitted between at least one of the end through ports and one of the drop ports by means of the linear arrangement. The splitter/combiners can be inserted to form drop points in a ring or dual-homed passive optical network to provide flexibility in provision of protection and network reconfiguration.

Abstract: A multi-fiber optical delay line incorporates a plurality of optical fibers nestedly positioned and affixed to a planar substrate. The fibers include input portions that are linearly and proximately positioned on the substrate, and of equivalent length. The fibers also include output portions that are linearly and proximately positioned on the substrate, and of equivalent length. The input and output portions of each fiber are interconnected by a u-shaped connecting portion, and each connecting portion is positioned to have a unique and predetermined length. The predetermined lengths are selected such that differences in length between a shortest fiber and another fiber in the plurality of fibers are equivalent to a fiber length that would be traversed by the input signal during a time period required for the transmission of a predetermined number of bits in the digital signal.

Abstract: A dispersion compensating single mode optical waveguide fiber designed to change the wavelength window of operation of a link from 1310 nm to 1550 nm. The dispersion compensating waveguide fiber is characterized by a core glass region refractive index profile comprised of at least three segments. The segment on the waveguide center has a positive relative refractive index. At least one segment, spaced apart from, the waveguide centerline has a negative relative refractive.

Abstract: A method of forming a chirped fiber grating having the steps of providing an optical fiber, impressing a non-linear grating onto a portion of the optical fiber to define a non-linear variation in the refractive index. The method further comprising applying a temperature gradient to a portion of the optical fiber to provide a variation that acts against the non-linear variation in the refractive index.

Abstract: For protecting a fibre optic conductor assembly from errant radiant energy, this invention provides a body mounted adjacent to an optical fibre so as to provide an alternate path for radiant energy adjacent to the path defined by the optical fibre, the body having a distal end which is angled so that radiant energy reaching the distal end undergoes total-internal-reflection so as to be re-directed out of the body and away from the optical fibre.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fiber optic connector comprising a fiber pressing member and a substrate having a part A with multiple fiber arranging grooves in which bare portion of optical fibers are fixed, and a part B in which coated portion of optical fibers are fixed, and its manufacturing method. The connector enables to prevent an increase in transmission loss or breakage of the optical fibers by reducing the localized stress on the fibers from the rear end of the fiber pressing member and the rear end edge of the fiber arranging grooves.

Abstract: A double-clad optical fiber has an inner cladding that has a torsional stress induced within it during manufacture. By rotating the fiber preform before curing of the inner cladding layer, a physical stress may be permanently imparted to the inner cladding that interacts with pump energy within the inner cladding layer to encourage mode mixing. As the cladding modes are disturbed by the stresses in the fiber, they are redirected so that the light in them intersects the core.

Abstract: An optical spectrum analyzer and methods for its use for multiplexing and demultiplexing. The optical spectrum analyzer includes two reflectors in a fixed spatial relationship to a volume phase grating. Input light is reflected by the first reflector to the volume phase grating, diffracted by the volume phase grating towards the second reflector along a first optical path, reflected back to the volume phase grating by the second reflector along a second optical path distinct from the first optical path, diffracted again by the volume phase grating towards the first reflector, and reflected out of the optical spectrum analyzer by the first reflector. Preferably, the reflectors are surfaces of transparent blocks that are optically coupled to the volume phase grating. The reflectors are arranged so that light of a plurality of equally spaced wavelengths, that is input to the optical spectrum analyzer at a single entry point, is demultiplexed to a corresponding plurality of equally spaced exit points.

Abstract: An arrayed wavelength grating device has a series of waveguiding channels (3) interconnecting two free space regions (2,4) across which light inputting and outputting the device passes. There are differences in optical path length between any two of said channels (3) lying adjacent to one other in said series, which differences are defined by respective optical path length increments. The optical path length progression across said channels (3) is non-linear, not being defined by any one value of the path length increments, nor by a plural number of values of the path length increments each defining a linear optical path length progression of a subset of at least three of said channels (3).

Abstract: A simulated laser light system includes a light source which emits substantially parallel light rays and a prismatic element having a plurality of prismatic surfaces. The prismatic surfaces define a curved surface either on the inside or the outside of the prismatic element. The prismatic surfaces redirect the light rays emitted from the prismatic element in a plurality of planes which are perpendicular to a tangent to said curved surface. The simulated laser light system appears to emit light from a centerline of the prismatic element when the light is actually emitted from an exterior surface of the prismatic element.

Abstract: Switch arrays are provided with controllable polarization modifiers and polarization-dependent diverters, such as one or more polarization beam splitters, for configuring switch arrays which can reduce or eliminate the need for optical fibers in the switch arrays. In one embodiment, input positions configured in a first preferably planar (e.g., horizontal) configuration are routed to one or more of a corresponding plurality of output positions which are configured in a different arrangement such as in an orthogonal (e.g., vertical) planar arrangement. Preferably some or all of the polarization-related optical components, including components such as birefringent devices, liquid crystal polarization rotator arrays and/or polarization beam splitters are integrated so that one such device can be used in connection with a plurality of input and/or output beams.

Abstract: A luminescence detector with a liquid-core waveguide. For detecting photoluminescence, the exciting radiation is provided transversely instead of axially, thus eliminating the need for monochromators and focusing optics. For detecting chemiluminescence, the chemiluminescent reagents are mixed in situ in the detector, thus eliminating time loss which results in loss of chemiluminescence. A further aspect of the invention is the electrogeneration of an unstable reagent for the production of chemiluminescence. The unstable reagent is generated in such a way that there is complete separation of anodic and cathodic products without the use of a physical barrier.