Abstract: Disclosed is an optical waveguide device having a structure capable of allowing the optical waveguide device to be easily connected with an optical fiber array connector while allowing an easy separation thereof from the optical fiber array connector.

Abstract: A non-scattering light pipe includes a transition surface between a first side wall and an input surface and a second side wall and the input surface. The transition surface is arranged to substantially obscure the corner interfaces between the first and second side walls and the input surface such that in the corner formation any imperfections therein are not imaged into the output. Most preferably, the transition surface is optimized to provide a substantially uniform light intensity distribution. A light pipe in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention is further arranged to couple to a linear light source, such as a cold cathode fluorescent light (CCFL). The light source is arranged such that dim areas, i.e., areas of the light source having non-uniform intensity, are not disposed adjacent the input surface.

Abstract: An optical fibre connector comprising a hollow cylindrical body 2 having a throughbore 3 with an inner surface 4. A hollow sleeve or carrier 6 in the form of a cylindrical tube having a throughbore 8 fits snugly within the hollow body throughbore 3. The sleeve 6 can receive and releasably retain a pair of optical fibre assemblies 11 which are to be optically coupled to one another by means of the connector. The sleeve 6 accommodates a plurality of discrete individual engagement means in the form of balls 10 in holes around it circumference. The balls 10 protrude through the holes in the sleeve into the throughbore 3, and are free to rotate as an optical fibre assembly moves past them. The optical fibre assemblies 11 are biassed against the balls 10 and thereby against the inner surface of the connector body by resilient biassing means in the form of spring arrangements 14. Each spring arrangement 14 comprises an elongate resilient strip 15 pivoted about its midpoint on a pivot 20.

Abstract: A single longitudinal mode narrow linewidth and low threshold all fiber laser arrangement is disclosed, constructed from a ring cavity, a gain portion in the ring cavity, an input-output coupling interposed within the cavity and pumping means connected to the ring cavity and to the grating such that, upon actuation of the pumping means, the arrangement acts as a laser.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable management device includes a housing and rotatable trays. The trays include a base, and various upstanding wall portions for defining cable guideways. Inner walls include curved segments. Four crescent shapes are provided for cable winding and cable protection. Various tabs extend from the wall portions and are spaced from the base to assist with cable positioning. The trays are symmetrical about a central axis extending parallel to the base. The housing further includes tray supports to support a free end of the trays during storage, and rotation out of the housing.

Abstract: A strict-sense nonblocking N×N spatial optical cross connect that employs planar lightwave beam steerers. The beam steerers allow for a modular design without requiring two-dimensional chip-to-chip waveguide interconnections. The modular design and the fact that the number of electrical control leads scales as NlogN in turn allows the possibility of constructing large, robust, solid-state cross connects. A cascaded beam-steerer design that substantially relaxes phase shifter strength requirements is also described.

Abstract: An optical transmission system has an input light guide and N multipath modulators operated as frequency shifters connected in cascade to receive light from the input light guide and output light along N output light guides where N is 1 or more, wherein the light carried by each ith output light guide, where i=1, . . . , N, is shifted in frequency from light carried by the input light guide by i&ohgr;m, and where each set of multipath modulators contributes a frequency translation of &ohgr;m and where the light from each output light guide is modulated and combined with all other modulated output light to form a multiwavelength transmission system. A receiver equipped with similar frequency shifters is configured to generate a number of optical reference signals of frequencies &ohgr;0+i&ohgr;m, each reference sign to be added as a separate portion of the received signal so as to perform self-homodyne detection of the information signal associated with each respective modulated frequency.

Abstract: A module has on a front side a coupling socket for holding an optical fiber end, and at a rear side has a holding region for an electro optical component. The component is firstly prefixed in a position of maximum optical coupling by optical irradiation of an adhesive that can be cured both by light and by heat. After the prefixing, a permanent connection is made by thermal curing the adhesive in a temporally and/or spatially separate subsequent production step.

Abstract: A bi-directional interface for transmitting signals between a circuit tester and a connection point proximate to a circuit to be tested includes a first and a second optical fiber link, a first directional gate for coupling both the input end of the first link and the output end of the second link to one endpoint of the interface and a second directional gate for coupling both the input end of the second link and the output end of the first link to the other endpoint of the interface. An optical fiber link for transmitting a signal between a circuit tester and a connection point proximate to a circuit to be tested includes an optical fiber for transmitting the signal, a light source electrically coupled to the link input and optically coupled to the input of the fiber, and a photodetector optically coupled to the fiber output and electrically coupled to the link output. The light source may include a light emitter and a driver stage electrically coupled to the light emitter.

Abstract: An optical isolator which is suitable for array assembly and may be produced by lithographically-defined means comprises a sandwich of layers. These layers include a substrate having two waveguides for transmission of a signal having two parts, each part being comprised of two rays; a walk-off plate for spatially displacing or recombining the rays of both parts; a half-wave plate of birefringent material for reciprocal rotation of the polarization of the rays of only one part of the signal; a non-reciprocal rotator for rotating the polarization of the rays of both parts of the signal at a predetermined angle; a lens for collimating the rays transmitted through the walk-off plate, the half-wave plate, and the rotator, and for focusing the rays opposite the rotator at a common region along an end surface; and an end surface for interconnection of the rays of the two parts of the signal.

Abstract: An optical multiplexer/demultiplexer with an improved spectral characteristic is provided by two diffraction gratings (21, 20) arranged optically in tandem and one being configured to embrace the other, the gratings also being arranged to provide free spectral ranges differing by a factor of at least two, and having a coupling (22′) between them that carries over into the second grating information concerning the dispersion afforded by the first grating.

Abstract: An optical splitter for distributing a beam of light along a plurality of output paths. The amount of light output from each output path is user adjustable according to one embodiment of the present invention. In another embodiment the amount of light output from each output path is determined by the arrangement of the optical splitter. The present invention allows a single high-power high-intensity light generation source to simultaneously provide light to a plurality of lighting devices, instruments or tools.

Abstract: A submarine optical gain equalizer installed on a submarine optical transmission cable 5 comprises a pressure housing 1, in which an optical gain equalizer and n through-fibers are installed. Input and output ports of the optical gain equalizer and the through-fibers are formed in the outside of the pressure housing. The submarine optical gain equalizer equalizes levels of signal light having wavelengths different from each other caused by optical fiber amplifiers. In general, one submarine optical gain equalizer is installed for every 40 optical fiber amplifiers on a submarine optical cable.

Abstract: A waveguide path type polarization independent optical wavelength tunable filter includes two polarization beam splitters consisting of Ti diffusion optical waveguide paths and anisotropic waveguide paths formed on a dielectric surface, respectively, and a mode converter consisting of the Ti diffusion optical waveguide path, a surface acoustic wave interdigital transducer and an acoustic wave absorber. A layered film consisting of an SiO2 film and an Si film is formed right on the Ti diffusion optical waveguide paths of the polarization beam splitters and a metal film is formed right on the anisotropic optical waveguide paths. By so arranging, the TE polarization component of a non-selected light and the TM polarization component of a non-selected light, both of which are noise components for filter characteristics, are absorbed and removed by the layered SiO2 and Si films and the metal film.

Abstract: A package for optical components and a method for making the package are disclosed. The package comprises a quasi-planar substrate having a positioning floor, a platform and an optional ring frame of precisely determined height. Optical components are picked and placed on a substrate floor, a raised platform and frame. A flexure assembly allows fine positioning of components requiring critical optical alignment.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plastic-clad optical fiber (PCF) comprising a quartz core and a polymer clad as tightly formed around the core, in which the clad has a multi-layered structure of a plurality of different polymers, and the refractive index of the core (nCO), that of the first clad as tightly formed around the core (nCL1) and that of the second clad as tightly formed over the first clad (nCL2) satisfy both 0.21 ≦(nCO2−nCL12)≦0.35 and nCL2<nCL1. This is a wide-band PCF which exhibits reduced loss in connection with crimp-style connectors, reduced bending loss, and lower transmission loss with temperature changes. Therefore, this PCF is useful as a light information-transmitting material in constructing ATM-LAN, high-speed Ethernet, etc.

Abstract: A surface emitting semiconductor laser comprises a semiconductor multilayer reflecting film of a first conductivity type, a quantum well active layer having at least one quantum well structure, a semiconductor multilayer reflecting film of a second conductivity type and a contact layer of the second conductivity type sequentially stacked in a layered manner inside a concavity formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The contact layer of the second conductivity type is formed in a buried manner so that the surface of the contact layer is approximately flush with the surface of the semiconductor substrate. A second electrode is formed on a part of the surface of the contact layer other than a part left for forming a light guiding region thereon.

Abstract: An optical device having an array of substantially equal-length optical waveguides. Each one of the optical waveguides includes one or more straight segments, one or more curved segments, and optionally, one or more transition segments. According to the invention, the sum of the lengths of the straight segments in each of the waveguides is substantially equal. Similarly, the sum of the lengths of the curved segments in each of the waveguides may be substantially equal as well. Finally, the sum of the lengths of optional transition segments in each of the waveguides may also be substantially equal. Advantageously, the device exhibits relative lengths that are robust to fabrication errors and have low polarization sensitivity.

Abstract: A fiber optic cable having a plurality of buffer tubes. Within at least one of the buffer tubes is a plurality of main fibers. Within the cable outer sheath, the main fibers are factory-spliced with optical splitters at predetermined distances. Distribution fibers are factory-spliced to the outputs of the optical splitters. The distribution fibers reside within distribution buffer tubes, and are available for access at substantially any location along the length of the fiber optic cable. A certain number of the distribution fibers from a particular optical splitter extend in an upstream direction of the fiber cable, and the remaining distribution fibers from that optical splitter extend in a downstream direction.

Abstract: Fiber optic transmitter and receiver electrical elements are implemented on separate vertical boards in fiber optic modules. A single optical block implements lenses and reflecting surfaces to minimize manufacturing costs. In one embodiment the receiver and transmitter are mounted to receive and transmit vertical boards respectively to nearly face each other but being offset to avoid optical cross talk. In a second embodiment, receiver and transmitter are mounted parallel with the printed circuit boards to save additional space. The vertical boards have ground planes to minimize electrical cross talk. A shielded housing provides further shielding for EMI. Manufacturing steps of the fiber optic transceiver are disclosed which provide reduced manufacturing costs.