Patents Assigned to General Photonics Corporation
  • Patent number: 8345238
    Abstract: A device for measuring spectrum of light includes a differential group delay (DGD) device positioned to receive light under measurement and to produce output light with a DGD value representing a difference in the group delay between two orthogonal optical polarizations of the light under measurement. An optical detector is positioned to receive the output light from the DGD device to measure a state and a degree of polarization of the output light. A processing device receives and processes measurements of the state and the degree of polarization from the optical detector. A probe light source produces probe light. An optical sensor receives the probe light and interacts with the probe light at a resonance wavelength of the optical sensor. A processing unit processes the optical spectrum of the returned probe light to extract information on a parameter to change the resonance wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 8164831
    Abstract: Techniques and devices for depolarizing light and producing a variable differential group delays in optical signals. In one implementation, an input optical beam is split into first and second beams with orthogonal polarizations. One or two optical reflectors are then used to cause the first and second optical beams to undergo different optical path lengths before they are recombined into a single output beam. An adjustment mechanism may used implemented to adjust the difference in the optical path lengths of the first and second beams to produce a variable DGD. When the depolarization of light is desired, the difference in the optical path lengths of the first and second beams is set to be greater than the coherence length of the input optical beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: X. Steve Yao, Jane Chen, Yongqiang Shi
  • Patent number: 8073326
    Abstract: Devices, systems and techniques for optical communication are provided based on polarization division multiplexing (PDM) to use an optical monitor channel at a distinct optical monitor wavelength to monitor optical polarization fluctuation and polarization mode dispersion during the transmission from the transmitter to the receiver to facilitate the effective demultiplexing of the two orthogonal signal channels at the receiver through automatic feedback control on a dynamic polarization controller and a polarization beam splitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Lianshan Yan, Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Publication number: 20110277552
    Abstract: Techniques and devices for measuring the distribution of polarization crosstalk in birefringence optical media including polarization maintaining fiber based on suppressing the number and magnitude of ghost interference peaks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL PHOTONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xiaojun Chen, Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 8000610
    Abstract: This application describes optical monitoring devices and applications in optical systems for monitoring various optical parameters of light, including the signal to noise ratio, the degree of polarization, and the differential group delay (DGD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7983314
    Abstract: Techniques, devices and applications of polarization stable lasers to provide laser operations against changes, variations or fluctuations in optical polarization in a laser cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7952711
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for characterizing linear retarders using a waveplate analyzer constructed by polarization rotators. In one implementation of such an analyzer, both the retardation of the waveplate sample and the orientation of optical axis of the waveplate sample can be simultaneously measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaojun Chen, Lianshan Yan, Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7945130
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for scrambling optical modes in multimode fibers to achieve uniform light distribution in guided multi-mode light for various applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Lianshan Yan, Lynn Lin, Xiaojun Chen, Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Publication number: 20100239245
    Abstract: Systems, devices and techniques for generating and analyzing states of polarization in light using multiple adjustable polarization rotators having different discrete polarization rotation states in various applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL PHOTONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7796894
    Abstract: This application describes devices and techniques for dynamically controlling polarization light at one or more locations along the optical transmission path to reduce optical noise and PMD in the optical signal. One device according to an implementation includes a polarization controller to receive an optical signal and operable to control polarization of the optical signal in response to a control signal, a fixed optical polarizer to receive output from the optical polarization controller and to produce an output optical signal, and a circuit to receive a fraction of the output optical signal from the fixed optical polarizer and operable to produce the control signal in response to an output power level of the output optical signal which controls the polarization controller to maximize the output power level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: X. Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7724435
    Abstract: Devices and their operations to use multiple adjustable differential group delay (DGD) elements in various applications including tunable PMD emulators and compensators for producing different PMD profiles with an adjustable average DGD value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Lianshan Yan, X. Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7723670
    Abstract: Differential group delay (DGD) devices and techniques based on folded optical paths. An in-line polarization monitor can be provided as a feedback for worst-case alignment without using an in-line polarizer. Polarization maintaining retro reflectors can minimize the introduced higher-order polarization effects caused by reflections between folding mirrors or prisms in conventional schemes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Lianshan Yan, Xiaojun Chen, Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7693419
    Abstract: Techniques and devices that use polarization rotation and optical interferometry to provide optical spectrum analysis of an optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaojun Chen, Lianshan Yan, X. Steve Yao
  • Publication number: 20090207409
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and techniques for measuring optical spectral property such as the frequency and the optical spectrum of light based on polarization analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL PHOTONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7535639
    Abstract: Techniques and devices for depolarizing light and producing a variable differential group delays in optical signals. In one implementation, an input optical beam is split into first and second beams with orthogonal polarizations. One or two optical reflectors are then used to cause the first and second optical beams to undergo different optical path lengths before they are recombined into a single output beam. An adjustment mechanism may used implemented to adjust the difference in the optical path lengths of the first and second beams to produce a variable DGD. When the depolarization of light is desired, the difference in the optical path lengths of the first and second beams is set to be greater than the coherence length of the input optical beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: X. Steve Yao, Jane Chen, Yongqiang Shi
  • Patent number: 7534990
    Abstract: Optical devices and techniques for using optical polarization of light to transmit through an optical path four times to quadruple a total delay in the light through the optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7522785
    Abstract: Devices and techniques that use a polarization controller and a feedback control to the polarization controller to systematically control the polarization of light output from the polarization controller in measuring the polarization dependent loss (PDL) of an optical device or material that receives the light from the polarization controller or the degree of polarization (DOP) of a light beam directed into the polarization controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: X. Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7466471
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for generating and analyzing states of polarization in light using multiple adjustable polarization rotators in various applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 7436569
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for generating and analyzing states of polarization in light using multiple adjustable polarization rotators in various applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: X. Steve Yao, Xiaojun Chen, Lianshan Yan
  • Patent number: 7391977
    Abstract: This application describes optical monitoring devices and applications in optical systems for monitoring various optical parameters of light, including the signal to noise ratio, the degree of polarization, and the differential group delay (DGD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao