Abstract: This invention relates to optical devices such as a fiber-optic frequency shifter and an optical interferometer. This invention also relates to a method of generating optical interference signals to obtain reliable sensor signals independent of polarization fluctuations of the optical waves in the fiber. Fiber-optic interferometers have many advantages such as high sensitivity and convenient way of using even in poor surrounding environments. These interferometer, however, exhibit polarization dependent signal degradation since the polarization of a light wave passing through an optical fiber irregularly changes depending on the birefringence of the fiber. This invention is characterized in that the frequencies of two orthogonal eigen polarizations of a light wave are shifted to different frequency values at one optical path of the interferometer. They produce two beat interference signals after interfering with the light wave passed through the other optical paht of the interferometer.

Abstract: An acousto-optic filter includes an optical fiber with a first region and a second region. A first acoustic wave generator is coupled to optical fiber. The first acoustic wave generator produces a first acoustic wave that travels in a first direction in the first region. A backward-propagating wave is generated in response to propagation of the first acoustic wave along the optical fiber. The backward-propagating wave travels in an opposite direction relative to the first acoustic wave. A first acoustic wave propagation member is coupled to the optical fiber. A second acoustic wave generator is coupled to the optical fiber at the second region. The second acoustic wave generator produces a second acoustic wave that combines with the backward propagating acoustic wave.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fiber grating which introduces a plurality of asymmetric microbends in a fiber. The present invention also relates to fiber optic devices, such as a fiber-optic filter, a fiber-optic polarizer, a fiber-optic wavelength tunable bandpass filter, a fiber-optic frequency shifter, using the above fiber grating which has asymmetric mode-coupling characteristics. The optical devices of the present invention exhibit a high mechanical durability and a long-term stability of the device, degradation of the optical fiber device due to a change in the characteristics of the grating can be prevented even after a long time at high temperature. In particular, the fiber grating according to the present invention has asymmetric mode coupling characteristics, so that it can be prevalently applied to an optical fiber notch filter, an optical fiber polarizer, an optical fiber wavelength tunable bandpass filter, an optical fiber frequency shifter and so on.

Abstract: An optical amplifier comprises a wavelength tunable filter, one or more optical gain stages, and a controller for controlling a spectral profile of the wavelength tunable filter in response to a measured spectral characteristic of the amplifier. The controller may also control gain of the gain stage(s). The controller determines the filter spectral profile necessary to obtain a desired amplifier spectral characteristic. The spectral characteristic may, for example, be a power spectral output of the amplifier or a gain profile of the amplifier. The amplifier may incorporate a dispersion compensator. The controller may control a spectral profile of the wavelength tunable filter and gain of the dispersion compensator. A tunable fiber light source is also described.

Abstract: A fiber-optic laser gyroscope having phase sensitive detecting means which can reduce rotation rate measurement errors. In the fiber-optic laser gyroscope, errors due to the relative intensity difference between two consecutive pulses, which was an error factor in rotation rate measurement through time interval measurement between two adjacent pulses, can be eliminated by having a phase sensitive detection means which may extract and detect only components having the same phase as that of a phase-modulated signal from components having the same frequency as that of a phase-modulated signal. An output from the phase sensitive detecting means has an additional characteristic of being linearly proportional to rotation rate. The fiber-optic laser gyroscope of the present invention, therefore, has a characteristic of a relatively simple signal processing compared to conventional interferometric fiber gyroscopes.

Abstract: A drop AOTF has a first AOTF that includes an optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, an acoustic wave propagation member with a proximal end and a distal end and an acoustic wave propagation member. The acoustic wave propagation member propagating an acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal end of the acoustic wave propagation member. An optical circulator, with first, second and third ports, is coupled to the first AOTF at the third port. A mode coupler is coupled to the first AOTF. A orthogonal-polarization reflective mirror is coupled to the mode coupler.

Abstract: An optical add/drop multiplexer includes a mode converter. A first mode coupler is coupled to an input of the mode converter. A second mode coupler is coupled to an output of the mode converter. The mode converter includes an optical fiber with multiple cladding modes and a single core mode guided along a core. An acoustic wave propagation member is coupled to the optical fiber. The acoustic wave propagation member propagates an acoustic wave from its proximal to its distal end. At least one acoustic wave generator is coupled to the proximal end of the acoustic wave propagation member.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for transmitting an optical signal includes a static filter, a Faraday rotator and a reflector. The Faraday rotator makes a first change in polarization of an optical signal in a first direction, and a second change in polarization of the optical signal received from the reflector in a second direction. This produces a polarization of the optical signal that is substantially orthogonal to an initial polarization state of the optical signal.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes an optical fiber. A plurality of individual optical fiber deformation structures are positioned adjacent along a length of the optical fiber. Each of an individual optical fiber deformation structure introduces a mechanical or index deformation of a portion of the optical fiber to create perturbation in the optical modes in the fiber and provide a coherent coupling between two modes in the optical fiber.

Abstract: An optic apparatus includes an optical fiber with a cladding surrounding a core and a core-mode blocker included in at least a portion of an interactive region of the optical fiber. A mode coupler is coupled to the optical fiber and couples a first mode to a different spatial mode in a forward direction of the optical fiber.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a fused-type directional coupler that has stable characteristics in a simple manner. According to the embodiment of the present invention, two two-mode optical fibers having identical structures, one of which having a reduced cladding diameter by chemical etching and the other of which having a reduced core and cladding diameter by heated tapering, are fused by heating and extended. The fused-type mode-selective directional coupler fabricated according to the present invention obviates the need to look for a particular pair of single mode-two mode optical fibers that satisfy the phase match condition. In addition, the mode-selective directional coupler of the present invention is more stable against change of temperature compared with conventional polished-type directional couplers that include material other than optical fibers and is easier to fabricate, because the mode-selective directional coupler of the present invention is an all-optical-fiber, fused-type directional coupler.

Abstract: An acousto-optic filter has a non-birefringent single mode optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, a core and a cladding in a surrounding relationship to the core. The optical fiber has multiple cladding modes and a single core mode that is guided along the core. An acoustic wave propagation member has a proximal end and a distal end coupled to the optical fiber. The acoustic wave propagation member propagates an acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal end and launches a flexural wave in the optical fiber. At least one acoustic wave generator is coupled to the proximal end of the acoustic wave propagation member.

Abstract: An optical fiber polarization scrambler decreasing the degree of polarization (DOP) of light efficiently using at least two optical fiber birefringence modulators (10, 11) and an operating parameter input method for the same. Birefringence modulators are constructed with hollow cylindrical piezo devices (10, 11) and a strand of optical fiber (30) wound continuously on the outer walls of the piezo devices (10, 11). An angle between the birefringence modulators consisting of the optical fiber polarization scrambler is configured to compensate the effect of circular birefringence. A method for exactly configuring birefringence modulation frequency and birefringence modulation amplitude to achieve effective polarization scrambling for the optical fiber polarization scrambler is also provided.

Abstract: An acousto-optic filter has a non-birefringent single mode optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, a core and a cladding in a surrounding relationship to the core. The optical fiber has multiple cladding modes and a single core mode that is guided along the core. An acoustic wave propagation member has a proximal end and a distal end coupled to the optical fiber. The acoustic wave propagation member propagates an acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal end and launches a flexural wave in the optical fiber. At least one acoustic wave generator is coupled to the proximal end of the acoustic wave propagation member.

Abstract: An acousto-optic filter has a non-birefringent single mode optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, a core and a cladding in a surrounding relationship to the core. The optical fiber has multiple cladding modes and a single core mode that is guided along the core. An acoustic wave propagation member has a proximal end and a distal end coupled to the optical fiber. The acoustic wave propagation member propagates an acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal end and launches a flexural wave in the optical fiber. At least one acoustic wave generator is coupled to the proximal end of the acoustic wave propagation member.

Abstract: An irreversible optical device using an optical frequency shift. The invention provides an irreversible phase shifter including frequency shifters. An irreversible interferometer is also provided which includes the irreversible phase shifter. The invention also provides an irreversible interferometer using a twin-mode optical fiber. In addition to the twin-mode optical fiber, this irreversible interferometer includes mode/frequency shifters and LP11 mode strippers. The irreversible interferometer exhibits a light transmissivity varying in accordance with the advancing direction of light, so that it can have the same functions as conventional optical isolators or circulators. In accordance with the invention, it is possible to configure a comb filter by incorporating passive mode couplers to the irreversible interferometer. It is also possible to vary the transmissivity and transmitting direction of light or to shift the comb position of the comb filter from a wavelength range, using electrical signals.

Abstract: An acousto-optic filter has a non-birefringent single mode optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, a core and a cladding in a surrounding relationship to the core. The optical fiber has multiple cladding modes and a single core mode that is guided along the core. An acoustic wave propagation member has a proximal end and a distal end coupled to the optical fiber. The acoustic wave propagation member propagates an acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal end and launches a flexural wave in the optical fiber. At least one acoustic wave generator is coupled to the proximal end of the acoustic wave propagation member.

Abstract: An optical fiber polarization controller which has compact size by employing wave plates made of short sections of a first optical fiber having inherent birefringence such as a polarization maintaining optical fiber. In the control of the polarization state of input light, a second optical fiber, for example a single mode fiber, connected to the first optical fiber is twisted using fixing knobs, thereby rotating the birefringence axis of the first optical fiber with respect to the second optical fiber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a Sagnac interferometric sensor array for acoustic sensing and method of sensing acoustic signal that is able to observe acoustic signals coming from several sources simultaneously. The acoustic sensor of the present invention is a Sagnac interferometric sensor array employing a depolarizer. Unlike a single Sagnac interferometric sensor, two light signals traveling in the opposite directions from each other pass through the off-center position of the loop at different times in the Sagnac loop when they are pulses, and thus, it is possible for the light pulses to be maintained at a constant phase difference by giving arbitrarily a certain amount of phase to them. By using the fact, the interferometer is constructed in such a way that the interference light output coincides with the applied acoustic signals in waveform. This invention suggests a way of fabricating an array of fiber-optic acoustic sensors that is easy to be made and is highly sensitive at some frequency band.

Abstract: An irreversible optical device using an optical frequency shift. The invention provides an irreversible phase shifter including frequency shifters. An irreversible interferometer is also provided which includes the irreversible phase shifter. The invention also provides an irreversible interferometer using a twin-mode optical fiber. In addition to the twin-mode optical fiber, this irreversible interferometer includes mode/frequency shifters and LP11 mode strippers. The irreversible interferometer exhibits a light transmissivity varying in accordance with the advancing direction of light, so that it can have the same functions as conventional optical isolators or circulators. In accordance with the invention, it is possible to configure a comb filter by incorporating passive mode couplers to the irreversible interferometer. It is also possible to vary the transmissivity and transmitting direction of light or to shift the comb position of the comb filter from a wavelength range, using electrical signals.