Abstract: Amplitude noise is dramatically reduced in an optically pumped modelocked laser arrangement by incorporating an intra-cavity or external cavity mode selection element with a continuous-wave pump laser coupled optically to a modelocked laser. The mode selection element causes a light beam generated from the pump laser to operate nominally at a single frequency, that is, substantially a single longitudinal mode. Mode selection may be realized with an air-spaced or solid material Fabry-Perot etalon.

Abstract: Long distance soliton lightwave communications systems are considered for next generation application in terrestrial and transoceanic environments. These systems employ a chain of lumped fiber amplifiers interconnected by long spans of dispersion shifted optical fiber. In such systems, resultant pulse distortion and dispersive wave radiation are minimized when the soliton period is long relative to the perturbation length which is the longer of either the amplification period defined in terms of the length of the optical fiber span between consecutive amplifiers or the dispersion period defined in terms of the length over which the dispersion exhibits a periodic characteristic. Additional system parameters for optimized soliton transmission include the relationships of both the path-average soliton power to the normal soliton power and the path-average dispersion from one optical fiber span to the next. Single channel and wavelength division multiplexed systems are disclosed.

Abstract: Polarization independence and higher intrinsic speed resulting from lowered device capacitance are achieved in a modulation-doped semiconductor heterostructure wherein a transfer barrier region including a graded bandgap semiconductor layer facilitates flow of carriers (electrons) from a doped reservoir to a narrow bandgap active region while an isolation barrier region confines carrier flow to be substantially within the graded bandgap region and the associated active region to minimize leakage current. The present modulation-doped heterostructure exhibits substantially equal end-boundary conditions in an unbiased condition for efficient cascading or stacking with additional modulation-doped heterostructures. Several embodiments of the present invention are described in which grading in the transfer barrier region is shown to include substantially continuous compositional grading, stepwise compositional grading, and superlattice grading.

Abstract: Full duplex lightwave communications is achieved in a diplex transceiver realized in a semiconductor photonic integrated circuit having an inline interconnecting waveguide integral with the transmitting and receiving portions of the transceiver. Semiconductor lasers and detectors operating in different wavelength regimes permit diplex or wavelength-division-multiplexed operation. In the transceiver, lightwave signals from the laser propagate through the laser without interfering with the laser operation or the lightwave signals being generated.

Abstract: An optical equalization receiver for countering the effects of delay distortion is realized by utilizing dynamically controllable Fabry-Perot etalon structures. By dynamically adjusting the frequency response of an etalon that is in a feedback loop configuration, the associated delay characteristic of the etalon may be used to counter the effects of delay distortion, thereby allowing higher transmission rates and transmission distances to be achieved. In one exemplary embodiment, an optical receiver comprising a reflective Fabry-Perot etalon and a piezoelectric transducer is used in a feedback loop configuration wherein a feedback control circuit monitors an output signal from the etalon for generating a control signal representing the amount of delay needed to compensate for distortion in an optical signal incident on the etalon.

Abstract: A lightwave communication system is disclosed in which an integrated receiver is realized as a distributed Bragg reflector (MQW-DBR) laser structure biased at or below threshold. The receiver functions simultaneously as a tunable filter, optical amplifier, photodetector, and, if desired, as an FSK discriminator. It is also disclosed that the lightwave receiver also is capable of half duplex operation as a lightwave transmitter using the same DBR laser structure. The disclosed receiver eliminates complex coupling of the many different element realized by the integrated, multifunction structure.

Abstract: An amplitude-modulated vestigial-sideband, television channel sub-carrier multiplexed optical fiber transmission system includes a laser diode operating linearly throughout the desired range of multiplex frequencies. Such linear laser diode operation is accomplished by limiting leakage current within the laser diode to a very low level. The composite second-order distortion in the optical output signal from the laser diode is down typically 50 db from the video carrier for each channel. For some laser diodes that exhibit slow turn-on in the L-I characteristic, there is a point of inflection in the L-I curve. Operation with the laser biased at or near this point results in extremely linear performance, even though the laser may have insufficient blocking of leakage current to otherwise produce acceptable linearity.

Abstract: Combinatorial logic devices are presented in which data signals interact with an enable signal in the device to move the enable signal outside its prescribed time slot when one or both of the data signals are present. Data signals are discarded within the device to avoid propagation through subsequent logic device stages. Such logic devices are particularly well suited to all-optical realizations in which soliton pulse signals are used. These devices exhibit high gain, cascadability and potentially large fanout capability.

Abstract: Modulation-doped quantum well heterostructures are cascaded in a semiconductor device to achieve high speed operation while obtaining large index of refraction or absorption coefficient changes for modulating lightwave signals without significant increases in the operating potentials over prior quantum well structures. Each modulation-doped quantum well heterostructure exhibits substantially equal boundary conditions in an unbiased condition for efficient cascading or stacking. Each quantum well has associated with it a barrier layer to minimize leakage current. As a result, each quantum well has associated with it a separate charge reservoir. This aspect contributes to the speed of the cascaded structure. When incorporated within a waveguide structure, cascaded modulation-doped quantum well heterostructures can act as an external modulator, or as an intra-cavity wavelength tuning element, or as an intra-cavity modulator, or even as an optically-pumped laser.

Abstract: Modelocking of a solid state laser such as a Ti:Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 laser is achieved by employing an external cavity defined by spatially separated reflective elements wherein at least one of the reflective elements exhibits a nonlinear characteristic in response to an impinging light beam. Exemplary nonlinear reflective elements are described using bulk semiconductor material or semiconductor quantum well structures integrated with a rear reflector such as a stack of quarter-wave thick dielectric or semiconductor material. Tuning control of the nonlinear reflective element may be introduced with temperature control arrangements and with mechanical translation arrangements in conjunction with lateral band gap engineering of the semiconductor material.

Abstract: A cable ship is outfitted with an improved dynamometer including a multi-roller sheave which is positioned between an optical fiber cable, supply and the cable destination so that the cable rolls over the multi-roller sheave. The center axis of the cable changes direction from one side of the multi-roller sheave to the other side. When the ship is propelled and pulls the cable, tension in the cable causes the multi-roller sheave to move and consequently stress a strain gauge. A signal produced by the strain gauge accurately indicates the tension in the cable. Friction and wear between the cable and the dynamometer are eliminated for all practical purposes. Very accurate readings of tension are obtained.

Abstract: Faster, yet, completely efficient and exhaustive testing is afforded an entity (e.g., protocol, VLSI circuit, software application) represented as finite state machines by employing the present method in which test sequences are generated according to minimum cost function rules. Minimum cost unique signatures are developed for state identification of the finite state machine. Based upon the minimum cost unique signatures, a minimum cost test sequence is generated to cover every state transition of the finite state machine. As a result, every testable aspect of the entity is guaranteed to be tested using a minimum number of steps which represents a considerable cost savings.

Abstract: An electrooptic measuring apparatus having both high voltage sensitivity and femtosecond time resolution includes coplanar transmission lines fabricated on a semi-insulating multiple quantum well structure. An electrical signal, such as from a high speed electronic device, injected onto the transmission lines creates an electrical field parallel to the layer planes of the multiple quantum well structure. Excitonic electroabsorption by the multiple quantum well structure, in response to the parallel field, changes the transmissivity of the multiple quantum well structure. An external light beam directed through the multiple quantum well structure is modulated by the changes in transmissivity. By detecting this modulation, a sampling of the electrical signal is achieved.

Abstract: Boolean logic functions are provided in a programmable optical logic device by combining a symmetric self-electrooptic effect device (S-SEED) with a logic control element for optically programming the S-SEED to initiate logic operations from a predetermined state. The predetermined preset state together with subsequent application of optical data signals to the S-SEED permit the desired logic operation to be performed on the optical data signal by the optical logic device. Logic operations which may be programmed into the optical logic device include AND, NAND, OR and NOR functions. A complementary pair (Q and Q) of optical signals is provided as output from each optical logic device.

Abstract: Full duplex operation is achieved in a lightwave communication system by employing terminals having a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser having separate electrically controllable Bragg reflector and gain sections. While operating as the basic heterodyne reception element, the DBR laser simultaneously generates lightwave signals for transmission to other terminals. External circuits process the electrical (intermediate frequency) signals from the simultaneously modulated and signal mixing laser to extract received information. In one embodiment, full duplex operation is described for an FSK lightwave communication system.

Abstract: Cascadability and simplicity of design and operation are primary attributes of a novel electrooptic polarization transformer for reset-free endless polarization control that allows general polarization transformations from any arbitrarily varying input and into any arbitrarily varying output polarization by producing adjustment elliptical birefringence of constant total phase retardation in a single-mode waveguide. Here, a particular transformation is obtained by adjusting the azimuth of linear birefringence and the ratio of linear to circular birefringence. In this integrated-optic realization, the endless polarization transformer includes at least one cascadable transformer section comprising a first TE.rarw..fwdarw.TM mode converter followed by a first TE/TM phase shifter followed by a second TE.rarw..fwdarw.TM mode converter and a second TE/TM phase shifter. The sections are formed over a birefringent waveguide capable of supporting propagation of TE and TM optical signal modes.

Abstract: A method and architecture for end-to-end surveillance of network systems is disclosed. Comprehensive and rapid fault detection, fault segmentation, and self-testing of network elements are accomplished by utilizing a bit position in message signal units to indicate the surveillance of a particular call. When the surveillance bit is set, message signal units related to the selected call are copied and forwarded to a processing element. The processing element correlates message signal units received to afford fault analysis and fault segmentation of network failures on an end-to-end basis. Additionally, the method and architecture may permit quality control for the network system by utilizing information within the message signal units received by the processing element.

Abstract: Wavelength tunability and single frequency output are achieved in a coherent light source employing an adjustably controllable reflector. The light source includes a gain medium coupled to a single-mode fiber having a partially reduced cladding region at a predetermined distance from the gain medium. A Bragg reflector is either formed on the reduced cladding region of the single-mode fiber or formed on an external element in close proximity to the reduced cladding region. A single resonant optical cavity is formed by placing another reflector on the side of the gain medium opposite the gain medium-to-fiber coupling. Wavelength tuning of the light source is accomplished by controllably adjusting the period or the Bragg reflector element.

Abstract: Misfit strain-induced piezoelectric fields are achieved from a new class of asymmetric quantum well devices which employ a simplified strained layer semiconductor structure. In the simplified structure, at least a single intrinsic lattice-mismatched narrow bandgap layer is included in a wider bandgap p-i-n structure so that the field resulting from biaxial stress is opposed to the electric field in the diode. According to the structure chosen, the biaxial stress may be either biaxial tension or biaxial compression. In reverse bias operation, the p-i-n diode produces a characteristic "blue shift" of the quantum well absorption peaks. As a result of the induced fields and the "blue shift" property of the devices, devices exhibit good on-off contrast with relatively low applied power and exhibit reduced tolerances on the operating wavelength of incident light.