Abstract: An optical fiber holder is provided which can accurately position the tip of an optical fiber during fusion-splice. A holder 2 can be used without removing an optical fiber 1 clamped in a stripping apparatus, cleaving apparatus and fusion-splicing apparatus in common. The optical fiber is clamped between a holder main body 2a and clamping members 3a, 3b at the coated portion thereof and between a V-groove portion 2b and a clamping member 7 at the tip thereof. The holder is positioned and mounted on a holder mount 4. Since the optical fiber is kept clamped in the holder throughout the steps of stripping, cleaving and fusion-splicing, the tip of the optical fiber 1a can be accurately positioned during fusion-splice.

Abstract: An optical system and method are disclosed for multiplexing or de-multiplexing channels within a wavelength band. The optical signals carried on the system comprise separate channels 1 through n, each having a unique passband and a center wavelength spaced from the center wavelength of adjacent channels by d nm. The signals are semi-multiplexed, demultiplexed, or semi-demultiplexed by an interleaver comprising optically matched and directly optically coupled etalons. Periodic spectral passbands of width less than d nm, spaced from each other a distance of zd, where z is an integer greater than or equal to 3, are substantially transmitted through the interleaver. At least one of the etalons is a bulk optic etalon and comprises first and second selectively transparent thin film mirror coatings on opposite surfaces of a bulk optic that defines the cavity spacing of that etalon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provides a WDM optical signal having a plurality of channels with a pair-wise orthogonal polarization state. The method begins by receiving a plurality of unpolarized optical wavelengths defining a plurality of optical channels separated by a prescribed channel spacing. A polarization wavelength dependent shift is imparted to the optical wavelengths, which is substantially equal to a particular fraction of the prescribed channel spacing.

Abstract: There is provided a package for holding long-period fiber gratings formed on an optical fiber from which an outer coating is partially removed to form the gratings thereon. A recoating is then applied to the long-period fiber gratings to maintain the optical characteristics of the long-period fiber gratings, and thereafter a silica glass tube is fixed around the recoating to protect the long-period fiber gratings from an ambient environment.

Abstract: To provide a waveguide-arrayed optical wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer in which a mode configuration of a waveguide slab output part is matched to a mode configuration of waveguide array input parts, to achieve a reduced loss irrespective of distances between arrayed waveguides, and a manufacturing method of the same, a wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer (10) is formed on a substrate (11) with a plurality of input waveguides (12) for inputting wavelength division multiplexed optical signals, an output waveguide (13) for combining the wavelength division multiplexed optical signals to be output, a waveguide array (15) as a set of arrayed waveguides (15b) having predetermined waveguide length differences (&Dgr;L), an input waveguide slab (14) for interconnecting the plurality of input waveguides (12) and the waveguide array (15), and an output waveguide slab (17) for interconnecting the waveguide array (15) and the output waveguide (13), and the input waveguide slab (14) and the output waveguide slab (17

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed that permit multi-directional fiber optic connections to a device. The multi-directional aspect of the fiber optic connections permit the connections to be aligned closely with the direction of travel of the fiber optic cables that interface with the device. Closely aligning the fiber optic connections on the device with the fiber optic cables' direction of travel maximizes the bend radius of the fiber optic cable near the point of connection or eliminates the bend altogether and reduces the likelihood of a broken fiber or signal attenuation.

Abstract: A tunable optical fiber grating package with a supporting assembly and an optical fiber portion having at least one grating between a first end and a second end of the fiber portion is provided. The first end and the second end of the fiber portion define a longitudinal direction and the at least one grating has an optical characteristic that varies with strain of the fiber portion. The supporting assembly has a first supporting member formed of a material having ultra low CTE, a second supporting member formed of a material having a negative CTE and a tuning means for changing the dimension of the first supporting member substantially along the longitudinal direction. The first supporting member and the second supporting member are bonded together.

Abstract: MEMS optical switches can include a substrate having first and second opposing faces and at least one side therebetween. An input is obliquely angled towards the face and optically couples optical radiation towards the face. A movable reflector is on the face and moves from a first position to a second position that is parallel to the first position to reflect the optical radiation from the input to provide reflected optical radiation. A output is obliquely angled away from the face and optically couples the reflected optical radiation away from the face.

Abstract: An optical interconnection apparatus comprises an adhesive layer having a 2-dimensional plane, and optical fibers secured on the adhesive layer. The optical fibers are routed on the adhesive layer so as to have at least one of an intersection portion, a bent portion, and a changing portion of fiber pitch, and to have a end portion outwardly projecting from the adhesive layer. The projecting end portion is used for optical interconnection. At least a portion of the circumferential edge surface of the adhesive layer is covered by a flame resistant material at an end of the optical fiber and in the vicinity thereof.

Abstract: An electronic system having a set of circuit boards and an interconnect. Each of the set of circuit boards includes a set of fiber optic circuit board connectors. The interconnect includes (i) a first planar member, (ii) a second planar member that is substantially parallel to the first planar member, and (iii) a set of fiber optic cable assemblies. Each fiber optic cable assembly includes a fiber optic cable segment, a first fiber optic interconnect connector which fastens to one end of that fiber optic cable segment and a second fiber optic interconnect connector which fastens to another end of that fiber optic cable segment. Each fiber optic interconnect connector extends through a hole defined by one of the first and second planar members. Furthermore, each fiber optic interconnect connector is configured to engage with a fiber optic circuit board connector.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating solid state optical waveguide structures comprising a doped silicon dioxide core layer sandwiched between lower and upper doped silicon dioxide cladding layers on a silicon substrate. The core and upper cladding layers are deposited using a plasma enhanced CVD process. The core layer is patterned to define one or more waveguide cores. The lower cladding layer is preferably also deposited using a plasma enhanced CVD process but alternatively may be formed by thermal oxidation.

Abstract: A control system for controlling individual mirrors in a MEMS-based optical switching fabric is presented. The control system includes a position sensitive detector positioned to receive a control beam reflected from individual mirrors of a first mirror array. In some embodiments, the control beam can be time-multiplexed with a calibration beam. The position of the control beam corrected in response to the position of the calibration beam can be compared with a position calculated on the port assignment of the individual mirrors in order to provide feedback to a feed-back based control system for the individual mirrors.

Abstract: An apparatus for managing and measuring fiber optic cable includes a mounting base for receiving and retaining a variety of fiber cassettes capable of holding optical components having fiber optic cables emanating therefrom. The apparatus includes a pair of interchangeable marking mandrels spaced from the fiber cassette and having circumferences that exceed the minimum bend radius of the fiber optic cables. Each marking mandrel has marking grooves formed on its periphery so that the fiber optic cable may be marked at a predetermined location for future splicing of the cable. The apparatus further includes fiber take up mandrels connected to the mounting base, each fiber take up mandrel having a circumference that exceeds the minimum bend radius of the fiber optic cables. The marked fiber optic cables may be temporarily wound around the circumference of the fiber take up mandrels to prevent entanglement and keep the fiber out of the operator's way while another cable is being marked.

Abstract: In a light mixing rod comprising an inlet area and an outlet area, which guides light coupled in via the inlet area along a light guiding direction to the outlet area, two mixing rod portions are provided, which are successively arranged in the light guiding direction and optically coupled with each other, a first of which is in the form of a hollow portion into which the second mixing rod portion extends at least partially.

Abstract: An optical matrix switcher which does not use mechanical means of optical alignment of input and output fibers in order to accomplish switching is disclosed. The optical matrix switcher of the present invention comprises a number of input assemblies, a number of output assemblies and a screen disposed between the input assemblies and output assemblies. The input assemblies are in an optical connection with inputs of the optical matrix switcher and the output assemblies are in an optical connection with the outputs of the optical matrix switcher. The input and output assemblies each comprise beam shaping means. A beam of light that passes through the beam shaping means is shaped and compressed into a plane (“shaped beams”). The screen (which is opaque and does not permit the light to pass through) comprises a number of switching means. The switching means can be placed in an “on” or “off” position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion compensating optical regenerator that provides for enhanced performance of telecommunication systems employing varying-soliton signal propagation and dispersion compensation. Allowing the solitons to change in amplitude, width and shape while traversing the dispersion compensating optical regenerator provides for beneficial system performance including improved signal to noise ratio at the receiver, reduced impact of signal interactions, and longer regenerator spacing. The regenerator in accord with the invention combines the filtering features of a NOLM or NALM with the advantageous effects of dispersion compensation.

Abstract: An optical waveguide structure comprising an annealed phosphorous doped silicon dioxide core surrounded by silicon dioxide cladding layers on a silicon substrate. The refractive index of the core exceeds the refractive index of the cladding to enable waveguiding of optical signals in the core. The upper cladding layer, and in one embodiment also the lower cladding, comprises high boron and phosphorous doped silicon dioxide, suitably doped with greater than about 9% of boron and with about 2.5% to 3.5% phosphorous to obtain a thermal coefficient of expansion approximating that of the silicon substrate. In an alternative embodiment, the lower cladding layer comprises thermally grown silicon dioxide, preferably including an upstanding pedestal on which the waveguide core extends.

Abstract: A power equalization system and method for use in an optical transmission system are provided. The power equalization system includes an optical line including at least one transmission channel and a management line. The transmission system further includes a plurality of amplifiers, a plurality of Optical spectrum analyzers and a plurality of equalizers. The plurality of amplifiers are coupled to the optical line, spaced periodically throughout the optical transmission system. As information is sent through the optical transmission system, the plurality of amplifiers boost the power of each channel of the optical signal. A plurality of optical spectrum analyzers are also coupled to the optical line and are spaced periodically throughout the optical transmission system and are co-located with a first portion of the amplifiers coupled to the optical line.

Abstract: The present invention seeks to increase the number of wavelengths capable of being handled while reducing the sub peak and beat noise. A wave router acording to the invention has three acoustooptical filter elements; two wavelength division multiplicity reduction elements; and two wavelength division multiplexers. The wavelength division multiplicity reduction elements have three output ports and one input port, and the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal input to this input port is de-multiplexed and thereafter output from the three output ports. The acoustooptical filter elements are connected to the output ports of the wavelength division multiplicity reduction element, and the optical signal contained in the output light from thee output ports are selectively output in accordance with the wavelength.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical fiber suitable for an optical transmission line for controlling the dispersion of a total line such that this dispersion is approximately zero by combining plural optical fibers. As one example, in the optical fiber having a refractive index profile structure of four layers, a relative refractive index difference &Dgr;1 of a center core with respect to a clad is set to 0.75% or more and 0.90% or less, and dispersion at a wavelength of 1.55 &mgr;m is set to −18 ps/nm/km or more and −8 ps/nm/km or less, and an effective core section area Aeff at the wavelength of 1.55 &mgr;m is set to 32 &mgr;m2 or more.