Abstract: A method of controllably attenuating a beam of light coupled into a port includes directing the beam of light against a mirror, and controlling an orientation of the mirror such that a predetermined fraction of the beam of light is coupled into the port. The predetermined fraction is less than a maximum fraction corresponding to optimal coupling of the beam of light into the port. The method may be implemented with a variable optical attenuator including a first port, a second port, a mirror located to direct light output by the first port to the second port, and a controller coupled to the mirror to align it such that the predetermined fraction of light is coupled into the second port. The method may also be implemented with an optical switch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to coated photonic crystal fibers including a photonic crystal fiber and a protective coating surrounding the photonic crystal fiber. The coating is obtained by curing a resin composition, which may include a urethane (meth)acrylate oligomer. The present invention also relates to a coated photonic crystal fiber including a photonic crystal fiber and a protective coating having a refractive index below 1.45.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for using an up-conversion phosphor as an emitting material in a reflective displays and Polymer compositions for display mediums, and blue green red (BRG) display mediums. Roles of the pumping duration and character on the temperature and the efficiency of the up-conversion process in (Ytterbium, Erbium or Thulium) co-doped fluoride crystals are set forth. Methods, compositions and display mediums for using up-conversion phosphors in both reflective and transmissive displays in which the substrate and pixel shapes are designed to maximally remove heat deposited in the emitting material and thereby improve the efficiency of up conversion.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for stowage of flexible linear objects including optical fibers, hoses, ropes, and electrical wires/cables. The apparatus includes spreader structures dimensioned and configured to stow objects in a figure 8 configuration to reduce potential factures sites, snagging, or kinking of these items during winding and/or unwinding.

Abstract: An integrated optic polarization splitter, includes a pair of waveguide elements with a first waveguide element having horizontal orientation and a second waveguide element having a vertical orientation formed from a plurality of waveguide core layers. The first and second waveguide elements are intersected or nearly intersected at one end of the structure and separated at the other end of the structure and the transition there between is made to be adiabatic. The waveguide elements receive an optical signal having both a TE component and a TM component. The TE component propagates along the horizontally oriented waveguide element and the TM component propagates along the vertically oriented waveguide element.

Abstract: Optoelectronic packaging assemblies for optically and electrically interfacing a protected electro-optical device or system to both an optical fiber and to external circuitry. Such assemblies are comprised of body components that are comprised of plastic that coated or plated with a conductive material. Electrical contact pins in the form of transmission lines are used to couple external electrical signals with the package. The optoelectronic packaging assemblies are dimensioned with small cavities and with steps, breaks, walls, and/or fins molded into the body components. The optoelectronic packaging assemblies further include an optical input receptacle for receiving an optical ferrule and an optical fiber. The optoelectronic packaging assembly provides for cooling, such as by heat sink fins and/or a thermal-electric-cooler. The transmission line pins and body components are dimensioned to mate with a standardized circuit board having transmission line traces.

Abstract: A fixture for an automated connectorization system for processing fiber optic connectors. The fixture can include a first and second portions configured to hold the connectors. The first portion can include a plurality of clamps, each clamp being configured to clamp onto one of the connectors. The second portion can include a plurality of nests, each nest including an aperture configured to allow a ferrule of one of the connectors to extend therethrough. The second portion of the fixture is coupled to the first portion.

Abstract: An optical fiber preform comprises a central core portion having a maximal value Nc of refractive index in the center, and outside the central core portion, comprising at least a depressed portion having a minimal value Nd of refractive index, a ring portion having a maximal value Nr of refractive index and an outside cladding layer having a maximal value No of refractive index. The optical fiber preform satisfies a relation of Nc?Nr>No>Nd among the values of refractive index. A method of the optical fiber preform comprises fabricating a glass rod by inserting a rod containing at least the central core portion into a pipe containing at least the depressed portion and integrating them, fabricating a glass pipe having the ring portion, and fabricating a vitreous body by integrating the glass rod and the glass pipe by collapsing after inserting the glass rod into the glass pipe.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a system comprises a Sagnac interferometric loop and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) located at an asymmetric position on that loop, wherein the Sagnac interferometric loop and the SOA are operable to perform signal conversion on an input signal.

Abstract: A fiber detector apparatus includes a hub having one or more electrical contacts. The hub is configured to be placed against a connector, which is disposed on an electromagnetic energy source, such that electrical continuity is established between the electrical contacts of the hub and electrical contacts on a connector plate of the electromagnetic energy source. The number and positions of the electrical contacts correlate with the presence and characteristics of one or more fibers extending through the hub toward the electromagnetic energy source. A data storage microcircuit may also be provided within the hub to store identification information about the fibers being used. Knowing the physical characteristics of the fibers being used in a particular procedure can permit a user of the apparatus to improve the effectiveness of a procedure using the electromagnetic energy.

Abstract: An optical code-division multiple-access (O-CDMA) apparatus, network, and communications method. A transmitter data modulates a sequence of ultra-fast (˜1 ps) pulses. An encoder wavelength demultiplexes the pulses, separately phase-modulates the wavelength components according to a first CDMA code and wavelength multiplexes for transmission on an optical network. A receiver includes a decoder performing similar demultiplexing, phase-modulating according to a second CDMA code, and multiplexing. The receiver detects the resultant signal. If the two CDMA codes match, the detected signal replicates the data-modulated pulses. The apparatus may be formed in as few as one substrate. The encoder/decoder structure may be used to compensate the dispersion of a fiber. A short-pulse detector includes a Mach-Zehnder interferometer having two semiconductor amplifier regions in its two arms with differential delay/phase between them.

Abstract: An apparatus including a base having a first opening of a dimension suitable to pass a light emission therethrough, a first side wall coupled to the base and having a second opening of a dimension suitable to pass a light emission therethrough, a second side wall coupled to the base and having a reflective component thereon, and the base, the first side wall, and the second side wall define an interior chamber with the reflective component disposed in the interior chamber; and a fiber connector extending from an exterior of the first side wall adjacent the second opening. A method including powering a laser disposed in a substrate coupling a fiber optic cable to an optical subassembly; and aligning the optical assembly over the transceiver board to capture the emitted light from the laser in the fiber optic cable.

Abstract: With respect to the relative intensity noise (RIN) for inputs to an optical modulator or the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for outputs therefrom, the optical modulator modulating coherent lights of different wavelengths obtained by slicing a spectrum of the multi-wavelength light, the shape of a spectrum of a multi-wavelength light is controlled so that predetermined RIN and SNR can be obtained in accordance with transmission system parameters (the type and distance of optical fibers, the number of repeaters), thus enabling design meeting a performance specification for a conventional transmission section using semiconductor lasers.

Abstract: The invention is to offer an optical device which is capable of reducing the insertion loss comparing with a conventional one. The optical switch comprises a fiber collimator for input an light beam, a fiber collimator for output the light beam to the outside, an optical path switching element, an optical path switching element as well as a slider arranged in the optical paths between the fiber collimator and the fiber collimator to change the light path and the optical characteristics, a solenoid actuator for moving the slider, a guide mechanism for guiding the slider as the slider moves, a magnet for generating a magnetic field, the magnet being arranged at a position where the slider is pressed against the guide mechanism by means of a magnetic force of a magnetic field generated by the magnet.

Abstract: An improved low-loss waveguide crossover uses an out-of-plane, such as vertical, waveguide to bridge over any number of waveguides with very low, or essentially no, optical loss or crosstalk. Optical signals transmitted in a waveguide system having the improved waveguide crossover can cross over one or multiple transverse waveguides with a greatly reduced loss of signal intensity by using a second waveguide (such as a bridge) positioned in a second plane different from the plane containing the transverse waveguides. An optical signal from the input waveguide is coupled efficiently through directional coupling to the bridge waveguide and optionally from the bridge waveguide to the output waveguide. Methods for fabricating the improved waveguide crossover are described.

Abstract: An optical device has first and second non-parallel optical paths, and a light reflecting surface. The reflecting surface may have a first and second planar portion. The first planar portion receives light from the first path to reflect the light toward the second path. The second planar portion may form an angle ?1 with the first planar portion. Angle ?1 satisfies a condition of 175°??<180° in either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation from the first planar portion.

Abstract: A wavelength converter using difference frequency generation (DFG) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the wavelength converter comprises (a) a first optical filter configured to filter out one or more lightwaves requiring wavelength conversion from wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) lightwaves, and (b) a broadband multi-channel simultaneous wavelength conversion portion comprising a pump source that generates pump light for use in the process of the DFG, a first optical combiner for combining said pump light with said filtered lightwaves, a high non-linear medium configured to generate wavelength converted lightwaves from said filtered lightwaves using the DFG, and a second optical filter for filtering said wavelength converted from said filtered lightwaves.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a preform for an optical fiber, an optical fiber so obtained and methods for making the same. The fiber is characterized in that porous glass doped with at least one dopant is used. Resulting fibers can be used to make high attenuation fibers.

Abstract: A mechanism for achieving symmetrical stress loads on operating optical fibers (16) held in fiber optic arrays includes, in one embodiment, the provision of a pair of non-operating or dummy fibers(26), each located outboard of the outermost or curb fibers(16?) of the array. All of the fibers, whether operating or dummy, are held in corresponding grooves (18, 24) in a substrate (12). A cover plate (14) may be positioned thereover while a low stress glue or potting compound (22) is introduced or applied so as to completely encapsulate the fibers. The glue or potting compound will symmetrically surround all of the operating fibers whereby not only any inboard operating fibers (16?), but also the outboard operating curb fibers (16?), are symmetrically encapsulated. In this manner all of the operating fibers are subject to the same stresses and consequently will exhibit essentially the same polarization maintaining behavior.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser (41) is fixed onto a base part (22) with a submount (32) and a reference optical axis (5) is determined by the semiconductor laser (41). A groove (222) having a U-shaped section is formed on a bonding part (221), and solder (31) is applied in the groove (222) and melted and a collimator lens (42) supported by a supporting arm (61) is moved to the groove (222). A light beam emitted from the semiconductor laser (41) is guided through the collimator lens (42) to an image pickup part (7), where an image representing the state of the light beam is acquired. The collimator lens (42) is positioned with respect to the reference optical axis (5) on the basis of the image and fixed onto the base part (22) out of contact therewith, with the solder interposed therebetween. This simplifies a structure of an optical element module (11) in which the collimator lens (42) is positioned with respect to the reference optical axis (5) with high accuracy.