Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a mode-scrambled optical signal using a VCSEL array. An array of vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are employed to generate respective of optical signals comprising modulated laser beams that are optically coupled into an input end of a multimode fiber segment. In one embodiment, the optical signals are offset-launched into the multimode fiber. As the respective optical signals pass through the segment of multimode fiber, they are combined to produce a mode-scrambled optical signal having a substantially-filled numerical aperture that is emitted from the output end of the fiber. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the apparatus enables multiple optical beams having similar wavelengths to be combined to increase optical signal strength. In accordance with another aspect, one portion of the VCSELs may be initially activated, while another portion is used as spares that may be selectively activated to replace any activated VCSELs that fail.

Abstract: The utilization efficiency of light is to be enhanced. Optical signals are brought to incidence on incidence/emission portions provided on the end face of a light transmitting medium where a reflective optical diffusion layer is arranged. The incident optical signals, upon reaching the reflective optical diffusion layer, are diffusively reflected in both vertical and lateral directions. Of the diffused light, not only the part of it coming directly incident on each of the plural incidence/emission portions formed on the end face of the light transmitting medium but also the rest propagates while being reflected by sides of the light transmitting medium and is emitted from the plural incidence/emission portions.

Abstract: A low coherent reflectometer uses low coherent beams for measurement of refletance and refleting positions with respect to a measured optical circuit which includes a reflecting point. The low coherent beams are branched to produce measurement beams (DL) and local beams (KL), so that the measurement beams are introduced into a first optical path, which includes a dispersion shifted fiber, towards the measured optical circuit, while the local beams are introduced into a second optical path which includes a spatial optical path terminated by a reflecting mirror. Refleted measurement beams (RL) and reflected local beams are combined together to produce combined beams, which are subjected to processing and analysis.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a microelectromechanical optical component from a silicon substrate is disclosed. The component comprises optical propagation guides; a wall which can move with respect to the propagation guides; and an electrostatic actuator associated with return means formed by at least one beam capable of causing the moving wall to move with respect to the rest of the substrate. The substrate is single-crystal silicon having (111) crystallographic planes parallel to the plane of the substrate. The process comprises a first series of deep reactive ion etching steps during which the heights of the moving wall, of the electrodes of the actuator, and of the beams of the return means of the actuator are defined with different values, and a second wet etching step, making it possible to free the moving wall, the electrodes and the beams from the rest of the substrate.

Abstract: An optical transmitter in accordance with the present intention consists of a light source and an interference unit. The interference unit consists of an optical power divider, an intensity modulator, a gain variation device, a phase shifter, an optical coupler, and a phase controller. In the optical transmitter, continuous-wave light emanating from the light source is bifurcated by the optical power divider. One of resultant continuous-wave rays has the intensity thereof modulated based on transmission data by the intensity modulator. The other continuous-wave light has the power thereof adjusted by the gain variation device, and then has the phase thereof shifted by the phase shifter. The optical coupler joins the light signals, whereby the phase of part of the modulated light signal is shifted. The gain variation device is realized with a combination of, for example, an optical amplifier and an optical attenuator. The phase shifter is realized for example, a phase modulator and an optical delay device.

Abstract: An optical broadband transmission device for the broadband transmission of data streams between a supply node and a user node. The device comprises an optical fiber for the broadband transmission of data streams between the fiber node and the user node, and a first optical transceiver to the supply node and to the first end of the optical fiber. A second transceiver is connected to the user node and to the second end of the optical fiber. The first and second optical transceiver are designed for transmitting and receiving, respectively, data streams on different optical carrier wavelengths via the optical fiber.

Abstract: The invention concerns the area of nonlinear fiber and integrated optics, to be exact the area of completely optical switches, modulators and optical transistors, in which solitons are used. The technical problem of the invention is the diminution of pump energy fed into optical waveguide, and also increase of sharpness and depth of switching, and gain of optical transistor, and switching speed as well. One variant of the method consists in that into input of tunnel-coupled waveguides having cubic nonlinearity and the second-order dispersion, they feed radiation as fundamental solitons or pulses close to them in amplitude and in shape with various maximum intensity, which is in limits from 0.6IMup to 1.4IM, where IM is the critical intensity. In other variants of the method additionally into the input of the same or other waveguide they feed radiation, which intensity is much less comparable with the soliton's intensity. In particular, this radiation can be as solitons.

Abstract: The system includes a generally broadband, low coherence length light source that injects light into a fiber beamsplitter that is used to generate counterpropagating light beams in a Sagnac loop. The loop includes two facing fiber beamsplitters connected together at differing length inner legs, with one of the output legs of the second beamsplitter usually being connected to a in place optical fiber that ends with a phase modulator followed by a mirror. Formatted data is transmitted by impressing relative phase differences between the counterpropagating light beams. Optimum performance depends on appropriate choices for critical lengths in the system.

Abstract: A method and device is disclosed for dispersion compensation of an optical signal. By providing two filters having a sloped dispersion and opposite in sign over a wavelength band wherein one filter is tunable, a controllable amount of dispersion can be introduced to offset or compensate dispersion. Preferably one of the filters is a tunable periodic device in the form of a multi-cavity GT etalon. In a preferred embodiment of the filters can be designed to provide various controllable but different constant amounts of dispersion.

Abstract: A transmission of optical signals generated by multi-line optical sources is provided via multichannel WDM optical network. Each multi-line optical source generates optical spectral lines within designated spectral range associated with the spectral window allocated for corresponding WDM channel, and comprises a plurality of spectral lines. Spectral lines are substantially narrower than the spectral separation between the lines.

Abstract: A spread polarization transmitter for transmitting at least one light signal comprises a spread-spectrum communication apparatus and a polarization modulator. The spread-spectrum communication apparatus modulates the at least one light signal according to a spread-spectrum modulation technique. The polarization modulator comprises a polarizer and a magnetic bubble waveguide. The polarizer is capable of polarizing the at least one spread-spectrum modulated light signal in a polarized direction. And the magnetic bubble waveguide, which is configured in accordance with a pseudo-random polarization code sequence such that the plurality of magnetic bubble domains assume a time varying position representative of the pseudo-random polarization code sequence, is capable of receiving at least one polarized, spread-spectrum modulated light signal.