Abstract: An optical collimator for single mode fibers includes a fiber segment (S1) with mode expansion including an entry and an exit for a light beam. The entry of the fiber segment with mode expansion is on the side at which the core diameter is the smallest, and the exit is on the side at which the core diameter is the largest. The collimator further includes a fiber segment (S2) with expansion holding coupled to the exit, the core diameter of which is equal to or greater than the largest core diameter of the fiber segment with mode expansion, so that the diameter of the light beam guided for this segment is kept constant.

Abstract: In an optical transmission path including multimode optical fibers, modal dispersion is reduced so that signal light can be transmitted at high speed and across a broad band, at low-cost and over a long distance. To reduce modal dispersion, when the transmission path is constructed by coupling a plurality of multimode optical fibers, a length ratio for the multimode optical fibers that obtains the maximum band of the optical transmission path is determined, and the multimode optical fibers are coupled according to this length ratio. The multimode optical fibers that are used have specific refractive index profiles as mode dispersion-compensating fibers. The compensated fiber and the mode dispersion-compensating fiber are coupled with specific lengths.

Abstract: High speed optical modulators can be made of a lateral PN diode formed in a strip loaded optical waveguide on a SOI or other silicon based substrate. A PN junction is formed at the boundary of the P and N doped regions. The depletion region at the PN junction overlaps with the center of a guided optical mode propagating through the waveguide. Electrically modulating a lateral PN diode causes a phase shift in an optical wave propagating through the waveguide. Due to differences in fabrication methods, forming strip loaded waveguides with consistent properties for use in PN diode optical modulators is much easier than fabricating similar rib waveguides.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an optical element and techniques for creating the optical element. The optical element may comprise an optical delay line or a similar optical part. The optical element may have a wide variety of applications in optical data transmission, optical computing, short term transient storing, applications for optical timing, or a number of other applications. Rather than drawing a long length of optical fiber, the invention can make use of mastering and replication techniques to define a long continuous groove in a substrate. Alternatively, an etching process may be used. In either case, the groove is filled with an optical material of higher index of refraction than the substrate to define a light guide that can transmit light via total internal reflection (TIR).

Abstract: A tape-like optical fiber cable comprises a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel to each other and each abutted to an adjacent fiber. Each of the optical fibers includes a cover and a lead extending therefrom. A method of forming an inclined surface at a terminal face of each lead comprises the steps of: pushing the respective leads of the optical fibers in parallel and together toward a grinding surface of a grinding means while moving in a certain direction so that terminal portions of the respective leads are simultaneously resiliently bent to form an inclined surfaces at the terminal faces of the respective leads.

Abstract: A polymer optical waveguide has a substrate, a buffer layer formed on the substrate, and a polymer waveguide main body formed on the buffer layer. The buffer layer is made of a polymer material that can absorb a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate and the polymer optical waveguide.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fiber optic connector that includes a rigid housing having a first cavity configured to receive a first optical fiber network element, such as a transmitting or receiving optical unit or subassembly, and a second cavity configured to receive a second optical fiber network element, such as an optical fiber connector. The connector further includes a retaining member for operative engagement with the housing and with one of the optical fiber network elements, at a location intermediate to the ends of the unit to retain the unit at a selected location within the housing. The housing axially aligns the first and second optical fiber network elements such that they are in optical alignment. Further, the retaining member includes a number of extending members for convenient mounting to, for example, a circuit board.

Abstract: An optical multiplexer is provided that includes a reconfigurable switching fabric with a number of inputs and outputs. In addition, the reconfigurable switching fabric employs VLSOAs that facilitate at least partial reconfiguration of the switching fabric by serving as switches to add, drop or pass-through one or more optical signals received at the inputs of the reconfigurable switching fabric. In some cases, one or more of the VLSOAs also serve to amplify one or more optical signals so as to compensate for losses that may be experienced by the signal in transit through the switching fabric, or elsewhere. Finally, this example of the optical multiplexer includes a wavelength division multiplexer coupled to the reconfigurable switching fabric and configured to multiplex at least some of the optical signals received from outputs of the reconfigurable switching fabric.

Abstract: A design is presented for an N×N crossbar switch. A crossbar switch is one of the basic components of Optical Switching Networks. An optical N×N switch has the capability of connecting any light beam from the input of the switch to any output of the switch without interfering with other light beams. That is each single input is connected to one and only one of the output ports without interfering with any other beam or beams. The design presented is based on the use of precision meso-scale mechanics of the size typically found in miniature disc drives and meso-scale optical components. This meso-scale mechanics is then controlled or driven by precision servo-electronics and software to achieve the correct switching. The precision servomechanisms, meso-scale mechanics, electronics and software control are designed to work together to self-compensate for assembly or manufacturing defects and deleterious environmental, including temperature, effects.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an optical multiplexing method and an optical multiplexer, capable of fixing lights of different wavelengths at required wavelengths to stably multiplex them with a simple optical circuit configuration. To this end, in the present optical multiplexer, there is provided a tilted FBG, which is formed on an optical fiber through which a first light is propagated, with a grating direction thereof being tilted to an axial direction of the optical fiber, and has the sufficiently high reflectance to a second light (multiplexed light) of a wavelength different from that of the first light. The multiplexed light emitted from a light source is irradiated to the tilted FBG, via a free space from an angle direction determined according to a grating pitch of the tilted FBG and the wavelength of the multiplexed light, to be coupled within the optical fiber.

Abstract: An optical fiber for long-distance optical communication networks has a zero dispersion wavelength value in the range of 1560 to 1570 nm and a dispersion gradient value, at a wavelength band of 1550 nm, in the range of 0.055 to 0.075 ps/nm2/km.

Abstract: A waveguide structure (200) according to the invention comprises a core layer (210), a cladding layer (206) and a buffer layer (208). Sub-regions (204) are formed in the cladding layer (206) but not in the core layer (210). In one dimensional applications the sub-regions are slots: in two dimensional applications the sub-regions are rods. The rods or slots may be air-filled or filled with an in-fill material, (e.g. Si). The in-fill material, if present, enhances the contrast in dielectric constant between sub-regions (204) and the core layer (210). Sub-regions (204) may furthermore be formed in the portion of the buffer layer neighbouring the core layer. Slots or rods in the buffer may be air-filled or filled by an in-fill material. Substantially complete confinement of the mode in the core can be assured while still maintaining the ability to interact with the field within the photonic band structure region.

Abstract: In an optical fiber ribbon 1 according to the present invention, four optical fibers 10, 20, 30 and 40 are arranged in parallel to each other in a plane, a part of the periphery of these four optical fibers is covered with a ribbon matrix 51, but no rest thereof is covered with the ribbon matrix. First areas covered with the ribbon matrix 51 and second areas uncovered with the ribbon matrix alternate with each other along the longitudinal direction thereof. Alternatively, the optical fiber ribbon 1 is covered with the ribbon matrix over its entire length. In the glass section of each optical fibers, the mode field diameter defined by the definition of Petermann-I at a wavelength of 1.55 ?m is 8 ?m or less, and the cable cutoff wavelength is 1.26 ?m or less.

Abstract: An optical switching device for use in a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) telecommunication network for optically switching wavelength carriers from a plurality of input DWDM radiation to a selected output includes a plurality of optical input paths and a plurality of optical output paths; a first array of individually selectably tiltable MEMS mirrors in which each mirror is for receiving optical radiation from a respective input path; and a second array of individually selectably tiltable MEMS mirrors in which each mirror is for deflecting optical radiation incident thereon along a respective output path. The first and second arrays of mirrors are arranged on a common plane and are selectably tiltable about a single axis, and a fixed reflector is arranged above the two arrays of mirrors.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a lamina of light. The apparatus includes an optically transparent member having an input configured to receive light and one or more facets formed in the optically transparent member. As light enters and travels through the member, a lamina of light is created by the light reflecting off the facets. In one application, the lamina of light is provided in the free space adjacent a touch screen display. When the lamina is interrupted during a data entry operation to the screen, an optical position detection device is used to determine the data input based on the location of the interrupt in the lamina. In various other embodiments, the position and uniformity of the lamina may be controlled by selecting the angle, depth and tilt of a reflective surface of the facets in the optically transparent member.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an optical module, passively aligned and used in high-speed optical communication systems, having a ferrule disposed in an aperture in an upper plate of the module. The ferrule protrudes a predetermined distance through the aperture in order to guarantee butt coupling of an optical fibre to an active optical component disposed at a predetermined height on a lower plate of the module.

Abstract: A broadband optical via provides a low loss interconnection between waveguides in two vertically adjacent planar waveguiding layers. Two waveguides, one in each planar layer, evanescently interact over an interaction length, and substantially all of the power on one waveguide is transferred to the second waveguide. The relative detuning between waveguides is varied along the interaction region by tapering the width of one or both guides along the direction of propagation. The interaction strength is also varied by varying the physical separation between the two waveguides such that the interaction approaches zero near the two ends of the interaction length. The performance of the broadband optical via is fabrication tolerant, polarization tolerant, wavelength tolerant, and dimensionally tolerant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming an optical waveguide characterized by applying a paste containing a copper compound to a glass substrate containing an alkali metal as a glass component over the whole surface thereof or in a patterned form, and performing heat treatment at a temperature lower than the softening temperature of the glass substrate. The method of the invention can produce an optical waveguide without the need for a high vacuum as in the thin film deposition method and without the use of a molten salt, and is capable of dispersing Cu+ ions selectively in a glass substrate with excellent controllability.

Abstract: A wavelength cross connect is provided in which wavelength channels are individually switchable from one of a first set of ports to one of a second set of ports. Add and drop capability is provided on the sets of ports. Some embodiments feature a single row of ports, while others feature two dimensional arrays of ports. Some embodiments employ one dispersive element per port, and others employ one dispersive element per row of ports. Embodiments featuring transmissive and non-transmissive switching elements are provided.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes a first core with a first refractive index located in a central portion of the optical fiber; a second core with a second refractive index located in an outer periphery of the first core; a third core with a third refractive index located in an outer periphery of the second core; and a cladding with a fourth refractive index located in an outer periphery of the third core, where among the refractive indices, the first one>the third one>the fourth one>the second one. The absolute value of dispersion at the wavelength of 1550 nm is not more than 20 ps/nm/km. The effective area at the wavelength is not more than 15 ?m2. The nonlinear constant n2/Aeff at the wavelength of 1550 nm is equal to or more than 25×10?10/W.