Abstract: A broadband, omnidirectional, multi-layer, dielectric reflector for an LED in a white light emitting device provides both near 100% reflectivity across the visible spectrum of light, and electrical insulation between the substrate and the electrical circuitry used to power and control the LED. When a sealant material, having a higher index of refraction than air, is used to protect the LED and the accompanying electrical circuitry, an aluminum reflector layer or substrate is provided to make up for the loss of reflectivity at certain angles of incidence.

Abstract: A tunable laser system having fine and coarse wavelength discrimination is provided. The tunable laser system includes a first filter having a first free spectral range (FSR) and a second filter having a second FSR different from the first FSR. The first filter provides a first series of pulses from a first portion of a laser output, and a second filter provides a second series of pulses from a second portion of the laser output. A processing system compares the first series of pulses and the second series of pulses to identify a series of markers, in which the markers are separated by a beat period of the first series of pulses and the second series of pulses. Advantageously, the series of markers may be used for mode-hop detection and/or for wavelength referencing.

Abstract: A portable network test meter device for a CATV network is disclosed which permits simultaneous operation of a measurement system including a first tuner and a communication system including a cable modem including a second tuner. Only a single RF input/output port is necessary for connection to the CATV network.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting a nonlinearity in a cable plant and for determining cable length to a source of the nonlinearity are disclosed. Upstream signal peaks are detected by averaging upstream signal waveforms. The upstream signal peaks are generated at the source of the nonlinearity from naturally occurring downstream signal peaks propagating in the cable plant. The downstream signal peaks occur due to constructive superposition of the downstream channel signals. Acquisition of the upstream signal waveforms is triggered by the downstream signal peaks. The cable length to the source of nonlinearity is determined from a time delay between the downstream signal peaks and the upstream signal peaks.

Abstract: A MEMS mirror is disclosed having thickness correlated with the intensity profile of an impinging optical beam, so as to reduce moment of inertia of the MEMS mirror while preserving optical quality of the reflected beam. It is the mirror edges that contribute the most to the moment of inertia, while it is generally the mirror center that contributes the most to a reduction of the quality of an optical beam reflected from the mirror. Accordingly, by providing a mirror having laterally varying thickness matched to the local variation of the intensity of the optical beam, the quality of the latter may be preserved while the moment of inertia of the mirror may be significantly reduced. The thickness of MEMS mirrors may be varied continuously or stepwise; in one direction or in two mutually orthogonal directions.

Abstract: A polarized light beam having a coherence length L can be depolarized by splitting the beam into orthogonally polarized sub-beams and delaying one of the sub-beams relative to the other by a length larger than L. This spatial delay is created by splitting the beam in a walk-off crystal and disposing in the optical path of one of the sub-beams a slab of an optically dense material, while allowing the other sub-beam to propagate outside and near the slab. The sub-beams remain parallel to each other, allowing another walk-off crystal to be used to recombine the sub-beams. A dual-core fiber ferrule and a microlens array can be used to combine fiber-coupled output beams of two laser diodes in a single compact walk-off crystal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling bias in an optical modulator is disclosed. The method is particularly applicable to controlling multi-wavelength modulators and wavelength-tunable transmitters. At a calibration stage, a desired optical performance of the modulator is achieved, and an amplitude of a peak-to-peak variation of the output optical signal at a pre-determined amount of dither is stored in a memory as a reference. At operating stage, a controller of the optical modulator adjusts a bias voltage of the modulator until the measured peak-to-peak optical signal variation matches the reference value stored at the calibration stage. For multi-wavelength modulators and tunable transmitters, the calibration is repeated at each wavelength, and corresponding peak-to-peak optical signal variations are stored in the memory.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the packaging of high power laser(s) in a surface mount technology (SMT) configuration at low-cost using wafer-scale processing. A reflective sidewall is used to redirect the output emission from edge-emitting lasers through an optical element (e.g., a diffuser, lens, etc.). A common electrical pad centered inside the package provides p-side connection to multiple laser diodes (i.e. for power scalability). Thick plating (e.g. 75 um to 125 um) with a heat and electrically conductive material, e.g. copper, on a raised bonding area of a substrate provides good heat dissipation and spreading to the substrate layer during operation. The composite CTE of the substrate layer, e.g. AlN, and the heat/electrical conductive plating, e.g. Cu, substantially matches well with the laser substrates, e.g. GaAs-based, without the requirement for an additional submount.

Abstract: A tiltable MEMS device is disclosed having an asymmetric, electrostatically actuated tiltable platform and a reflector mounted on the platform so that the platform is hidden below the reflector, except for a portion of long side of the platform extending from under the reflector. An electrostatic stator actuator is mounted on the substrate under the long side of the tiltable platform. The range of a unidirectional tilt is increased by providing a recess in the substrate under the extended portion of the platform to accommodate the increased range of movement of the tiltable platform.

Abstract: Pigment flakes are blended together wherein some are magnetically alignable and exhibit a color shift from a first color to a second color with a change in viewing angle; and some are pigment flakes which exhibit a color shift from the first color to a third color or vice versa with a change in viewing angle, wherein the first, second and third colors are three different colors. The flakes are coated upon a substrate and magnetically alignable flakes are magnetically aligned. The non-magnetically alignable flakes are not aligned by the magnetic field and lie flat upon the substrate they are coated on. By judiciously selecting the angle upon which the magnetic flakes are oriented, an effect is created whereby an observer sees a color shift from a first color to a second or a first color to a third, when orienting the substrate by tilting it at different particular angles. The coated substrate can be used in security applications such as on currency or secure instruments.

Abstract: A sputtering anode is disclosed wherein the anode is in the form of a container or vessel; and, wherein the conducting surface communicating with a cathode is the inside surface of the container or vessel. The anode can be mounted outside of a coating chamber having its opening communicating with the chamber or alternatively may be mounted within the chamber. The anode may be an inlet port for receiving inert gas for use in forming the plasma and for pressurizing the anode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for quantifying the suitability of a coax network segment to support MoCA communications, comprising: transmitting a test signal associated with MoCA communications through the segment's first end; receiving the test signal through the segment's second end; determining a response function; determining a channel degradation reference based on the highest power level of the response function and a predetermined reference; calculating subcarrier degradation for each MoCA subcarrier, in accordance with the difference between the channel degradation reference and the subcarrier response function; and quantifying the suitability of the segment to support MoCA communications from the first end to the second end in accordance with the subcarrier degradation of all subcarriers in the response function.

Abstract: An optical device exhibiting a color shift upon rotation is disclosed. The optical device has a textured surface having a relief structure finer than a human eye resolution but large enough not to exhibit diffraction effects. The textured surface is coated with an interference thin film that exhibits a color shift with tilt. A uniform color seen at one angle of rotation changes to another uniform color when the optical device is rotated in its own plane. A method of manufacturing of such an optical device, as well as the use of the optical device as an optical security and authentication element, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A diffractive MEMS device has an in-plane binary reflective diffraction pattern formed in an outer surface of a tiltable platform. The binary reflective diffraction pattern includes rectangular or trapezoidal ridges and valleys, or grooves, of a same depth. The binary reflective diffractive pattern has a high diffraction efficiency even though the surfaces of the “grooves” or “ridges” are not perpendicular to the incoming optical beam. The diffractive pattern is supported by a pair of torsional hinges and is tiltable by an electrostatic actuator. The electrostatic actuator can include at least one side electrode for linearization of dependence of tilt angle on the voltage applied to the actuator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetron sputtering device including a large ring cathode having a defined inner radius. The position of the ring cathode is offset in relation to a center point of a planetary drive system. An anode or reactive gas source may be located within the inner radius of the ring cathode. Lower defect rates are obtained through the lower power density at the cathode which suppresses arcing, while runoff is minimized by the cathode to planet geometry without the use of a mask.

Abstract: A deployed communications network, providing voice, video and data, has millions of devices on the network including customer premises equipment (CPE), such as set top boxes and residential gateways. The present invention relates to the use of scaling techniques for minimizing the cost of hardware yet provide a monitoring solution for large networks. CPE's are grouped into groups according to geographical location and/or quality of operation, and the frequency and order of data collection is based on a hierarchical, round-robin structure of the CPE groups and the status of each CPE.

Abstract: A fiber coupled semiconductor device having an improved optical stability with respect to temperature variation is disclosed. The stability improvement is achieved by placing the platform holding the semiconductor chip and the optical fiber onto a spacer mounted on a base. The spacer has an area smaller than the area of the platform, for mechanical decoupling of thermally induced deformation of the base from a deformation of the platform of the semiconductor device. Attaching the optical fiber to a vertical mounting surface of a fiber mount, and additionally attaching the fiber mount to a submount of the semiconductor chip further improves thermal stability of the packaged device.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for referencing an optical frequency of a tunable laser. Light from a reference laser and the tunable laser is injected into a length of an optical waveguide from opposite ends thereof. When the optical frequency of the tunable laser is swept, SBS induced positive and negative peaks in the optical power of light transmitted through the waveguide are used to provide an accurate frequency change reference.

Abstract: A non-dichroic omnidirectional structural color multilayer structure. The non-dichroic omnidirectional structural color multilayer structure has an absorbing layer, a first layer extending across the absorbing layer, and a second layer extending across the first layer. The multilayer structure can reflect a narrow band of electromagnetic radiation that has a width of less than 500 nanometers and a center wavelength shift of less than 200 nanometers when the multilayer structure is viewed from angles between 0 and 45 degrees. In addition, the absorbing layer can block electromagnetic radiation reflected off of a surface that is proximate to the multilayer structure and thereby afford for a “pure” color that is not contaminated by reflected light from surrounding surfaces.

Abstract: An optical phase modulator having a reduced time drift of an electro-optical response is disclosed. An optical waveguide exhibiting the electro-optic effect includes two serially coupled portions having opposite time drifts of magnitudes of their respective electro-optical responses. As a result, a time drift of an overall electro-optical response of the optical phase modulator is lessened.