Abstract: A system is provided for mounting a fiber between locks by placing the locks at or near the natural inflection points of a sinusoidally curved fiber. This is accomplished by angularly offsetting the fiber exiting the locks at equal angles from an imaginary center line drawn between the locks, and by providing enough slack in the fiber between the locks to cause the inflection points to be positioned at or near the locks.

Abstract: A tunable laser incorporating an N1×N2 chirped waveguide grating router that has N1N2 wavelengths, accessible in a digitally rapid manner, and using only N1+N2+1 semiconductor optical amplifiers. Through the use of chirp, free-spectral range of the router can be significantly less than the channel span. The exemplary laser has N1=5, N2=8, a channel spacing of 100 GHz, and the router free-spectral range is only 20 channels.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprised of a combination multiplexer/demultiplexer, a main coupling device which is preferably a main circulator, and a transition device having various forms. The combination multiplexer/demultiplexer can be comprised of a first bidirectional main input/output port and a set of further bidirectional input/output ports. The main circulator can be comprised of first, second, and third ports wherein the second port of the main circulator is connected to the first bidirectional main input/output port of the combination multiplexer/demultiplexer. The transition device may include a transmitter/receiver device, having first and second further coupling devices which may be first and second further circulators, a first and receivers, and a first and second transmitters. The transition device may also include a reflective variable attenuation device, for reflecting and variably attenuating an output, which may be comprised of further circulator and an attenuator.

Abstract: An MQW laser comprises an active region in which a multiplicity of barriers each includes a doped barrier layer separated from its adjacent quantum well layers by undoped barrier layers. In a preferred embodiment, each barrier of an InGaAsP/InP SCH MQW laser includes a p-type (e.g., Be, Mg or C) delta-doped InGaAsP barrier layer sandwiched between a pair of undoped InGaAsP barrier layers. With suitable doping concentration and thickness of the delta-doped barrier layer, we have demonstrated MQW lasers with To as high as 82 K.

Abstract: A duplicated-port waveguide grating router is provided that includes a first free space region configured to receive an optical signal from at least one input waveguide. An optical grating comprising a plurality of waveguides is connected to the first free space region. The optical grating is defined by a plurality of unequal length waveguides. Connected to the optical grating is a second free space region, A plurality of output waveguides are connected to the second free space region, wherein the plurality of output waveguides includes at least two adjacent waveguides having ends remote from the second free space region. A 2×2 coupler having two input ports connected to the remote ends of the two adjacent waveguides and two output ports, which are the output ports of the duplicated-port waveguide grating router. The duplicated-port waveguide grating router provides substantially identical specifiable passband and widths within the two output ports.

Abstract: Power control for a laser is performed on at least a per-packet basis, rather than a per-pulse basis, and that end-of-life detection may similarly be performed. This is achieved by accumulating the current generated by a photodiode in response to the light signal generated by the laser, subtracting therefrom a preset threshold current which is similarly modulated in response to the data signal used to drive the laser, and comparing the resulting difference to the value prior to having begun accumulating and subtracting. The result of the comparison, which may be filtered, is used to control the driver of the laser or as an indicator, e.g., for use in end-of-life detection.

Abstract: Power control for a laser used for bust mode communication as well as end-of-life detection for the laser are performed in a combined manner, resulting in a savings in both cost and power consumption. This is achieved by employing a peak comparator which is supplied with an indication of the magnitude of a the laser signal, and supplying to the peak comparator in a time multiplexed manner with different thresholds, such as a first threshold which is used for performing power control and a second threshold which is used for performing end of life detection, on an alternative packet-by-packet basis. Thus, the first threshold is supplied for the duration of a first packet and the second threshold is used for the duration of a second packet. Additional thresholds and packets may be employed for other functions as desired by an implementor.