Abstract: A transition piece for coupling a coaxial transmission line to a printed circuit (PC) transmission line. The transmission line terminates in a conductive pin projecting through a conductive coaxial ground plane. The transition piece consists of a conductive plate which is adapted to be fixed between the coaxial ground plane and a PC ground plane of the PC transmission line. The plate is in electrical contact with both the coaxial and PC ground planes while the conductive pin contacts a conductive strip of the PC transmission line. Furthermore, the plate has an opening which is shaped and aligned with the pin so that a transition-impedance of the transition piece is substantially equal to a line impedance of the coaxial and PC transmission lines.

Abstract: An optical radiation amplifier, including an input port which receives the optical radiation and a first semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), which is coupled to receive the optical radiation from the input port and is adapted to amplify the optical radiation to produce amplified optical radiation in response to a first current injected into the first SOA. The amplifier also includes an electro-absorption modulator (EAM), which is coupled to receive the amplified optical radiation and is adapted to modulate the amplified optical radiation in response to a modulation voltage applied to the EAM so as to produce modulated radiation. There is a second SOA, which is coupled to receive the modulated radiation and is adapted to amplify the modulated radiation in response to a second current injected into the second SOA.

Abstract: A laser, including a grating structure consisting of two or more gratings generating a plurality of different wavelength peaks for reflection of optical radiation therefrom. The laser also includes a semiconductor device having a gain region which is operative to amplify the optical radiation, and a wavelength tunable filter (WTF) region which is adapted to filter the optical radiation. The device is optically coupled to the grating structure so as to define a laser cavity having a plurality of cavity modes. The cavity modes are selected by tuning a wavelength pass-band of the WTF region to overlap with one of the wavelength peaks of the grating structure.

Abstract: An electro-optical assembly, consisting of an optical sub-assembly and a transmission line. The optical sub-assembly consists of an electro-optical component having an optical region and a first and a second electrode coupled thereto, and a conductive optical bench in contact with the second electrode of the electro-optical component, the optical bench being adapted to permit optical alignment of the electro-optical component while making such contact. The transmission line consists of a live conductor, a ground conductor insulated from the live conductor, and a port adapted to receive a signal. The live and ground conductors are coupled to the first and second electrodes of the electro-optical component so as to convey the signal between the port and the electro-optical component and to provide a direct current (DC) bias level to the electro-optical component independent of the signal.

Abstract: An optical pulse generator, consisting of a semiconductor device and an optical output assembly. The semiconductor device includes an optically-active region having a gain section and a saturable absorber (SA) section, which are adapted to generate coherent optical pulses. The device also includes an output facet for coupling therethrough of the optical pulses generated in the optically-active region, and an SA electrode for application of a radio-frequency (RF) modulation of a desired frequency to the SA section. The optical output assembly is optically coupled to the output facet of the semiconductor device so as to partially reflect the coherent optical pulses within a predetermined wavelength range.

Abstract: Apparatus for stabilizing an output wavelength of a laser assembly (80), including a plurality of optical elements (88, 92, 97, 96) coupled together so as to form a laser cavity resonating in a single mode dependent upon an optical length of the cavity, and an optical length changer (86) which varies an optical length of at least one of the optical elements so as to vary accordingly the optical length of the cavity. The apparatus further includes a detector (91) which monitors the output of the laser assembly responsive to the variation in the optical length of the at least one of the optical elements. There is also included a stabilizer (93) which responsive to the measured output from the detector supplies a control signal to the optical length changer to control an optical length of at least one of the optical elements, so that the cavity resonates stably at the output wavelength in the single mode.

Abstract: An optical radiation monitor and an optical amplifier. The radiation monitor consists of an input port which receives the optical radiation, a waveguide, coupled to the input port so as to receive the optical radiation therefrom and adapted to leak a predetermined fraction of the optical radiation, and a photodetector which receives at least some of the leaked optical radiation and which generates a monitoring signal responsive thereto. The optical amplifier consists of an optical gain region which is adapted to output amplified optical radiation responsive to a current injected into the section. The amplifier includes a waveguide coupled to receive the amplified optical radiation and adapted to leak a predetermined fraction of the amplified optical radiation. The amplifier also includes a photodetector which receives at least some of the leaked optical radiation and which generates a monitoring signal responsive thereto, indicative of a performance characteristic of the optical gain region.