Patents by Inventor Gian-Luca Bona

Gian-Luca Bona has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20020191893
    Abstract: Described is a device for directing an optical signal from a first optical fiber (101, 102, . . . ) along one of a plurality of selectable switching paths each terminating in a corresponding one of a plurality of second optical fibers (401, 402, . . . ) via an optical element (201, 202, . . . ), the optical element (201, 202, . . . ) being moveable by a controllable actuator (60) from a first to a second position to change the switching path of incident optical signal. The optical element (201, 202, . . . ) is slideably mounted in parallel to a first mounting plate (10) comprising a conduit (11) through which the optical signals from the first optical fiber (101, 102, . . . ) can be directed by the optical element (201, 202, . . . ) along the selected one of the switching paths to one of a plurality of conduits (21) in a second mounting plate (20) parallel to the first mounting plate (10), and further to the corresponding one of second optical fibers (401, 402, . . . ).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gian-Luca Bona, Michel Despont
  • Publication number: 20020178760
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical device with a defined total device stress and a therefrom resulting defined birefringence and a therefrom resulting defined optical polarization dependence is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a lower cladding layer of an amorphous material with a first refractive index is provided and above that an upper cladding layer of an amorphous material with a second refractive index, which latter is manufactured from a material which is tunable in its stress. Between the lower and upper cladding layer an optical waveguide core is manufactured comprising an amorphous material having a third refractive index which is larger than the first and second refractive index. The optical waveguide core is thermally annealed, after which it has a defined waveguide core stress. The upper cladding layer is manufactured to have a cladding layer stress that together with the waveguide core stress results in the total device stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gian-Luca Bona, Roland Germann, Ingmar Meijer, Bert Offrein, Huub L. Salemink, Dorothea W. Wiesmann
  • Patent number: 6483966
    Abstract: A singlemode lightwaveguide-coupling element is positioned between an initial waveguide section which there has a basic final width (W0f) and a final waveguide section which there has a basic initial width (Wn+1i) which is bigger than the basic final width (W0f). The lightwave directions of both waveguide sections are inclined at a predetermined total angle (&Dgr;&agr;) towards each other. Starting from the initial waveguide section, the lightwaveguide element comprises intermediate waveguide sections each of which at its end has a lightwave direction which is inclined towards the lightwave direction at its opposite end at an inclination angle (&Dgr;&agr;v), such that the sum of all inclination angles equals the predetermined total angle (&Dgr;&agr;).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gian-Luca Bona, Roland W. Germann, Bert Jan Offrein, Huub Salemink
  • Publication number: 20020122630
    Abstract: A singlemode lightwaveguide-coupling element is positioned between an initial waveguide section (10) which there has a basic final width (W0f) and a final waveguide section (30) which there has a basic initial width (Wn+1i) which is bigger than the basic final width (W0f). The lightwave directions of both waveguide sections are inclined at a predetermined total angle (&Dgr;&agr;) towards each other. Starting from the initial waveguide section, the lightwaveguide element comprises intermediate waveguide sections each of which at its end has a lightwave direction which is inclined towards the lightwave direction at its opposite end at an inclination angle (&Dgr;&agr;&ngr;), such that the sum of all inclination angles equals the predetermined total angle (&Dgr;&agr;).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventors: Gian-Luca Bona, Roland W. Germann, Bert Jan Offrein, Huub Salemink
  • Patent number: 6438292
    Abstract: The essential feature is the step of generating a controllable ‘dynamic’ intensity field profile with a controllable beating pattern in a multimode superposition of different modes, as e.g., a fundamental mode and a higher order mode as e.g., the TE0 mode and TE1 mode of an input wavelength entering the input site of an AWG apparatus, whereby said beating pattern is controlled in a fixed, or in variable, predetermined way, as e.g., with a fixed or a wavelength dependent power ratio and beating pattern, for improving the mode overlap in a receiver waveguide associated with an output site of said apparatus. With variable conditions, a lower number of converter units is required. In a 8:1 multiplexer, for example, there is needed just one converter unit at its output. A 1:8 demultiplexer can be obtained by solely reversing the AWG apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gian Luca Bona, Folkert Horst, Bert Jan Offrein
  • Publication number: 20020051265
    Abstract: An optical device comprises a substrate having a plane surface. An optical path is disposed on the substrate and extends in a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate. A recess intercepts the optical path. An optical element is provided for modifying light incident thereon. The optical element is moveable within the recess between a first position in which the optical element is located in the path and a second position in which optical element is remote from the path. A cantilever suspends the optical element for movement within the recess between the second and first positions in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Haeberle, Gian-Luca Bona, Gerd K. Binnig, Peter Vettiger
  • Patent number: 5740117
    Abstract: The present invention concerns optical memories. Such an optical memory (30) comprises a data line (31) which is optically coupled via a directional waveguide coupler (33) to a circular memory loop (32). In addition, it comprises a pump line (35), which is employed in order to couple a refresh signal into the loop (32). As in case of the data line, the pump line is coupled via a directional waveguide coupler (34) to the loop (32). The counter propagating refresh light pulse provides for an amplification of the light pulse circulating in the memory loop being doped with Erbium ions. The length L of the memory loop (32) is chosen such that the circulation frequency of the light pulse in said loop (32) is equal to the clock frequency of the optical memory (30). The memory provides for individual manipulation of each stored optical bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gian-Luca Bona, Roland Germann, Huub Salemink
  • Patent number: 5259049
    Abstract: Automatic alignment of an optical waveguide to a ridge waveguide laser is accomplished by transferring the ridge structure of the laser to a substrate by etching a mirror groove. The transferred ridge structure serves as a base for the deposition of waveguide layers. The thickness of the waveguide layers are controlled during the deposition such that the waveguide core is laterally and vertically aligned to the lasing active layer of the laser structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1993
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gian-Luca Bona, Fritz Gfeller, Heinz Jaeckel, David J. Webb
  • Patent number: 5153890
    Abstract: A semiconductor device such as a laser diode grown on a structured substrate surface having horizontal regions and adjacent inclined sidewall surfaces. The horizontal regions are of standard orientation while the inclined surfaces are misoriented. The layers forming the device are grown on top of a structured surface, with at least the active layer of the semiconductor material assuming an ordered state which depends on the orientation of the substrate surface. The center section of the active layer is deposited on top of a horizontal region. This section is in the ordered state and has a lower bandgap energy than the terminating sections which are grown on the inclined regions and which exhibit a wider bandgap. The active layer can be terminated in either lateral direction with wider bandgap materials so that buried devices can be obtained that provide strongly confined and non-absorbing mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1992
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gian-Luca Bona, Wilhelm Heuberger, Peter Roentgen, Peter Unger