Abstract: A linear sensor array for imaging coded indicia includes an analog front end and a digital back end integrated on a single CMOS chip. A real-time, correlated double sampling circuit is used for noise suppression.

Abstract: This invention is related to method for assembling an optical attenuator to attenuate an optical beam. The method includes a step of a) collimating the optical beam from an input optical waveguide into a substantially collimated beam comprising an upper segmented-portion and a lower segmented-portion. The method further includes steps of b) transmitting the collimated onto a phase shifting means comprising at least an upper phase shifting means for generating a phase difference between the upper segmented-portion and the lower segmented-portion and c) generating a self-interference between the upper segmented-portion and the lower segmented-portion of the collimated beam and focusing the collimated beam into an output optical waveguide with an attenuation resulting from the self-interference.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an improved wavelength slicing technique for demultiplexing a composite optical signal. The technique applies a method for demultiplexing the composite optical signal for transmitting data signals over a plurality of data channels of different wavelengths represented by &lgr;1, &lgr;2, &lgr;3, &lgr;4, . . . &lgr;n where n is a positive integer. The method includes a step a) of receiving the composite optical signal into an asymmetric wavelength slicing device through a device input port. And step b) of slicing the composite signal and extracting a first composite optical signal comprising data signals transmitted in a first set of data channels &lgr;1, &lgr;a, &lgr;b, &lgr;c, . . . &lgr;n−1 through a first output port. And, extracting a second composite optical signal comprising data signals transmitted in a second set of data channels &lgr;2, &lgr;d, &lgr;e, &lgr;f, . . .

Abstract: A new optical on/off switch design with a fast switching speed of about a few micron seconds is disclosed in this invention. The core of the new optical on/off switch is a standard optical isolator in which a latching magnetized Faraday rotator is used. The latching Faraday rotator has a fast switching speed, i.e., about a few micron seconds, between magnetized and non-magnetized states under the effect of an external magnetic field. To realize the switching function, an electrically controlled external magnetic field is applied on the latching Faraday rotator. When a forward electric current pulse and thus a forward external magnetic field are applied onto latching Faraday rotator, the latching Faraday rotator reaches the state of the forward saturated rotation (the forward transmission state of an optical isolator) and thus an optical signal passes through.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a low-cost high power optical adapter employed to reduce the effects of the contaminants in the high power fiber optical transmission systems. The high power optical adapter uses the exactly same housing of the standard plug style single mode optical attenuators. The attenuating fiber is replaced by a TEC fiber. The TEC fiber has an MFD of more than 25 um at one end and an MFD of about 10 um at the other end that is the same as a standard single mode fiber. In the high power optical adapter, the large MFD end of the TEC fiber is fixed at the male side of the ferrule and the small MFD end of the TEC fiber is fixed at the female side of the ferrule. When the high power optical adapter is employed, the original pair of the standard optical connectors are first disconnected from the standard mating sleeve. Then each of these connectors is mounted into the female sides of a pair of the high power optical adapters.