Abstract: An optical fiber connector comprising a main body in the form of a manipulator 11 having a throughbore which removably receives a sleeve-like carrier 13 again having a throughbore. The carrier 13 receives removably an optical fibre assembly which is to be coupled to another optical component by means of the connector. The manipulator 11 also includes two pairs of adjustment screws 18a, and 19a which can be used to displace the carrier and optical fibre assembly relative to the longitudinal axis of the manipulator. A polarising element 41 is arranged in the manipulator 11 such that light passing through the connector system will pass through the polarising element 41.

Abstract: An apparatus for switching optical signals, comprising a first group of port cards adapted to receive input optical signals to be switched by the apparatus and a second group of port cards adapted to provide switched optical signals to an entity external to the apparatus. Each of the port cards in the first group includes a plurality of optical transmitter elements operative to produce respective optical beams from the input optical signals, as well as a transmit beam steering element array operative to orient the optical beams into respective transmit directions. Each of the port cards in the second group includes a plurality of optical receive elements operative to detect the presence of respective optical beams received from the port cards in the first group and produce respective ones of the switched optical signals therefrom. Application of beam steering at the port cards in the first group permits the apparatus to be more compact and allows for greater manufacturing tolerances.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical element switching mechanism that overcomes many of the disadvantages found in the prior art. The switching mechanism uses a balanced arm, with an optical element attached at one end of the arm. The arm is suspended on a axis that allows it to rotate from a first position to a second position. The arm is balanced to provide low force disturbance during this movement. A spring is coupled to the arm that provides the rotational energy to move the arm. The spring is coupled such that its neutral position is between the first and second positions, and thus the spring provides the energy to move the arm from the first position to the second position and vice versa. A latch mechanism is also provided for selectively holding the arm in the first position or second position. Additionally, the latch mechanism can provide additional energy needed to catch and move the arm into final position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for trimming birefringence of an integrated optical device with at least one waveguide having a birefringence characteristic, comprising the steps of providing at least one electrode on top of the waveguide, and applying power equal to or above a predetermined power level to said at least one electrode for causing a change of the refractive indices of the waveguide.

Abstract: A system and method for multi-channel PMD/PDL/PDG mitigation, the system including polarization scramblers adapted to vary the state of polarization of an optical signal propagated through the system to effectively vary the polarization mode dispersion experienced by the signal during each burst-error-correcting-period of the forward error correction used in the system.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optic based wavelength division multiplexer device made by a micro lithography and etching process, utilizing the special crystal lattice structure of a silicon wafer. The device comprises a silicon substrate with grooves, an input fiber optic of incoming port with its front lens, a fiber optic of pass port with its front lens, a fiber optic of reflect port with its front lens, and a thin-film filter. The fiber optics, lenses, and the thin-film filter are inserted into grooves to complete the fiber-to-fiber alignment and coupling. The present invention provides both functions of wavelength multiplexing and wavelength demultiplexing. The present invention also has the characteristics of automatic alignment and passive alignment.

Abstract: In an optical connector adapter for use in connecting first and second optical connectors to each other, the optical connector adapter includes a shell member which has a wall portion defining an opening and which receives the first optical connector. The opening is received with an insert member adapted to guide the second optical connector. The insert member includes a flange portion extending outward in a radial direction. The flange portion has an extending end face faced to the wall portion, an engaging portion formed on the extending end face, and a slit allowing the engaging portion to be movable away from the wall portion. The wall portion has an engaged portion to be engaged with the engaging portion of the flange portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of amplifying or emitting optical fibers. It comprises an amplifying optical fiber doped with a rare earth comprising a plurality of successive segments (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), presenting a monomode core and a multimode core, presenting at the periphery of the multimode core a peripheral segment (4) of low index so as to increase the numerical aperture of the optical fiber, outer cladding (5) being situated at the periphery of the low index peripheral segment (4), the multimode core being at least in part above the outer cladding (5), the peripheral segment (2) presenting a decreasing gradient shape.

Abstract: The invention relates to a bail latching device for an opto-electronic transceiver, including a pivotal latching member and a bail. The bail includes ends extending at an acute angle from a plane defined by the side arms for pivoting the latching member when the bail is rotated from a rest position to a removal position. Ideally, in the rest position, the side arms of the bail extend downwardly on each side of a front end of the transceiver. In the removal position, the bail is parallel to a removal direction, whereby the bail rotates the latching member to an unlatching position and then provides a handle to grasp while removing the transceiver from a standard cage.

Abstract: A fiber optic coupling device that securely holds a ferrule of a fiber optic cable in alignment with an optical interface of a fiber optic transceiver (FOT) device. Included is a guide member that has one or more guide channels and which is inserted into a connector body. A ferrule residing in one of the guide channels is prevented from moving forward in the guide channel due to the guide member engaging a shoulder on the ferrule. Similarly, the ferrule is prevented from moving backwards in the guide channel due to the connector body engaging the shoulder of the ferrule.

Abstract: A method for forming a display device including generating a face plate element by providing a first substrate with a photoactive resin thereon and exposing the photoactive resin to a light interference pattern formed by three collimated and coherent light sources, resulting in columnar features. A display device including an optical display element and a polymer face plate that receives or directs light to the optical display element. The face plate includes columnar areas where an index of refraction of the columnar areas is different from the index of refraction of a cladding area surrounding the columnar areas. The columnar areas are formed by exposure of a photoactive resin to a light interference pattern formed by three collimated and coherent light sources. A method of manufacturing a wave guide including providing a first substrate with a photoactive resin thereon and creating a wave guide channel in a wave guide template.

Abstract: A method and apparatuses are provided for switching an optical element into and out of an optical path. The apparatus comprises an arm assembly having an axis, first and second arms, first and second latch mechanisms, a stop element, and a solenoid. The first and second arms are coupled to the axis, and one of the arms is configured to selectively rotate relative to the other between first and second rotational positions. The latch mechanisms are mounted to the first arm at first and second mounting positions. The stop element is coupled to the second arm and positioned between and capable of contacting the latch mechanisms. The solenoid is coupled to the arm assembly and configured to provide kinetic energy to the one of the first and second arms configured to rotate to thereby cause the stop element to selectively contact the first latch mechanism and the second latch mechanism.

Abstract: The optical plug includes a ferule, adapter housing, a plug body, a compression coil spring and a compression bonding sleeve. The plug body includes a projecting portion and an extending portion which is provided with a plurality of annular grooves. The compression bonding sleeve includes a crimp portion and a support portion. According to the present invention, the diameter of the crimp portion is uniformly narrowed so that the crimp portion compression-bonds the high tensile strength wires to the annular grooves of the extending portion. Accordingly, it is possible to maintain the deformation of the crimp portion within the limit of its plastic deformation and hence, the occurrence of cracks and rupture can be prevented, so that the optical plug can be miniaturized. Further, it is possible to mount the optical fiber cable to the optical plug at a low cost.

Abstract: Optoelectronic devices of the present invention include several embodiments of an electronically active optical waveguide made of a strip loaded waveguide with a lateral, self-aligned diode fabricated in a layer of silicon. A voltage applied across the diode changes the free carrier density in a portion of the active waveguide, which can change the refractive index in that portion of the waveguide. Changing the refractive index can cause a phase shift of an optical signal propagating down the waveguide and this effect can be used to control the optical signal. Changing the free carrier density can also change the amount of optical attenuation in a section of an active waveguide. Optoelectronic devices such as: modulators, attenuators, switches, beam diverters, tunable filters and other devices can be fabricated on a standard SOI substrate (silicon on insulator), which is typically used in the fabrication of CMOS integrated circuits.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus and method of a fiber coupler is provided. A movable electric arc is employed to fuse more than two stacked fibers for manufacturing a fiber coupler having a small size and good environment stability. It is advantageous that the fiber coupler can be used in a SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) communication system, and the method also be used to manufacture the all-fiber CWDM (Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing) multiplexer which covers the E-band wavelengths and the sub-components of the OADM (Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer). And, all these functions are difficult to be achieved by the conventional techniques.

Abstract: A PMD emulation, measurement and compensation device is based upon an emulation device having a piece of fiber having a fixed differential group delay (DGD) and another short piece of fiber (or double refracting crystal) having a variable differential group delay (T-DGD). The two pieces of fiber are coupled with a non-zero torsional angle between their respective double refractive axes, preferably 45°. A fiber squeezer/stretcher is used to provide the variable DGD for the short piece of fiber. Various serial couplings of DGD and T-DGD fiber may be added to provide greater control and accuracy, with the torsional angles preferably alternating. Such an emulation device may be incorporated into a measurement device to measure the PMD-related distortion of an optical signal. Further the measurement device may be used in a PMD compensator where an emulation device in series with the optical signal path is controlled until the measured PMD in the PMD-related distorted optical signal is minimized.

Abstract: A ferrule for an optical connector, comprising: a ferrule body formed of a resin and including a through-hole having an inner wall for releasably receiving an optical fiber, the inner wall of through-hole being defined by a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion which are axially aligned; and a metallic pipe disposed on at least part of the inner wall of the through-hole, said metallic pipe being formed of at least one of an alloy of iron-nickel and an alloy of iron-nickel-cobalt.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises an optical element having at least two sets of diffractive elements, each diffractive element comprising at least one diffracting region thereof. At least one diffractive element set collectively routes, between a corresponding input optical port and a corresponding output optical port, at least a portion of a corresponding optical signal incident on the diffracting regions that is diffracted thereby as it propagates from the corresponding input optical port. The optical element includes at least one spatial region thereof wherein multiple diffracting regions of a first diffractive element set are present and diffracting regions of a second diffractive element set are absent. The diffractive elements of each set, the diffracting regions thereof, and each said spatial region are arranged so as to impart desired spatial characteristics, desired spectral characteristics, or desired temporal characteristics onto the corresponding routed portion of the optical signal.

Abstract: An optical device for collecting light and selectively outputting or concentrating the light. A layer has an optical index of referaction n1, and top, bottom and side surfaces defining an angel of inclination ?. A back surface spans the top, bottom and side surface. A first layer is coupled to the bottom surface of the layer and has an index of refraction n2. The first layer index n2 causes light input through the back surface of the layer to be preferentially output into the first layer. A second layer is coupled to the bottom of the first layer and selectively causes output of light into ambient. Additional layers, such as alight polarization layer, a polarization converting layer and a post LCD diffuser layer can be used to make preferential use of polarized light of diffuse light having passed through the LCD layer to enhance viewing of the output light.

Abstract: A method for producing aperiodic gratings and waveguides with aperiodic gratings uses a simulated annealing process that starts with a random configuration of grating elements and iteratively computes a spectral response from a Fourier transform of the configuration of grating elements obtained in successive iterations. A cost function is computed as a convergence criterion. The aperiodic grating can be used, for example, as a filter in WDM applications.