Abstract: An LED based illumination device includes LEDs mounted to an LED mounting board, an integrated output window sub-assembly, and a thermal frame coupled between the integrated output window sub-assembly and the LED mounting board. The integrated output window sub-assembly may include an output window and a thermally conductive ring coupled to the perimeter surface of the output window. The thermally conductive ring may have a radial width equal to or greater than the thickness of the output window. Additionally, the output window and the thermally conductive ring may have coplanar top and bottom surfaces. The thermally conductive ring surrounding the perimeter of the output window may include one or more pockets into which a curable, thermally conductive bonding material is disposed in an uncured state and flows into a gap between the perimeter of the output window and the thermally conductive ring.

Abstract: An optical element that may be replaceably mounted to an LED based illumination device. The optical element includes a hollow shell reflector and a plurality of annular shell elements disposed within the hollow shell reflector at different distances from the input port of the optical element. An annular shell element that is closer to the input port of the optical element has a radius that is less than the radius of an annular shell element farther from the input port.

Abstract: An LED based illumination device includes LEDs mounted to an LED mounting board, an integrated output window sub-assembly, and a thermal frame coupled between the integrated output window sub-assembly and the LED mounting board. The integrated output window sub-assembly may include an output window and a thermally conductive ring coupled to the perimeter surface of the output window. The thermally conductive ring may have a radial width equal to or greater than the thickness of the output window. Additionally, the output window and the thermally conductive ring may have coplanar top and bottom surfaces. The thermally conductive ring surrounding the perimeter of the output window may include one or more pockets into which a curable, thermally conductive bonding material is disposed in an uncured state and flows into a gap between the perimeter of the output window and the thermally conductive ring.

Abstract: An optical element that may be replaceably mounted to an LED based illumination device. The optical element includes a hollow shell reflector and a plurality of annular shell elements disposed within the hollow shell reflector at different distances from the input port of the optical element. An annular shell element that is closer to the input port of the optical element has a radius that is less than the radius of an annular shell element farther from the input port.

Abstract: An optical element that may be replaceably mounted to an LED based illumination device. The optical element includes a hollow shell reflector and a plurality of annular shell elements disposed within the hollow shell reflector at different distances from the input port of the optical element. An annular shell element that is closer to the input port of the optical element has a radius that is less than the radius of an annular shell element farther from the input port.

Abstract: An optical element that may be replaceably mounted to an LED based illumination device. The optical element includes a hollow shell reflector and a plurality of annular shell elements disposed within the hollow shell reflector at different distances from the input port of the optical element. An annular shell element that is closer to the input port of the optical element has a radius that is less than the radius of an annular shell element farther from the input port.

Abstract: A luminaire with an LED based illumination device having at least one LED includes a transmissive lens element that in combination with reflector is able to generate an output beam with a sharply defined large angle intensity profile. The reflector element is mounted to the LED based illumination device. The transmissive lens element includes first and second interior surfaces and third and fourth exterior surfaces. A portion of light emitted from the LED passes through the first interior surface and the third exterior surface and refracts towards an optical axis of the LED based illumination device, and the reflector element without interacting with the reflector element. Another portion of light emitted from the LED passes through the second interior surface and fourth exterior surface and refracts away from the optical axis to be reflected by the reflector element.

Abstract: A luminaire with an LED based illumination device having at least one LED includes a transmissive lens element that in combination with reflector is able to generate an output beam with a sharply defined large angle intensity profile. The reflector element is mounted to the LED based illumination device. The transmissive lens element includes first and second interior surfaces and third and fourth exterior surfaces. A portion of light emitted from the LED passes through the first interior surface and the third exterior surface and refracts towards an optical axis of the LED based illumination device, and the reflector element without interacting with the reflector element. Another portion of light emitted from the LED passes through the second interior surface and fourth exterior surface and refracts away from the optical axis to be reflected by the reflector element.

Abstract: A lamp, a method of making a bulb for a lamp and an optical apparatus are disclosed. The lamp may include an anode and cathode disposed within a bulb. The bulb may include an optically refractive wall that is rotationally symmetric about an axis. A thickness of the wall may decrease with increase in azimuthal angle between an equatorial plane of the bulb and a point on the bulb's surface. The apparatus may include the lamp and an ellipsoidal reflecting surface. An alternative apparatus may include an ellipsoidal reflecting surface and a lamp having an anode and cathode within a bulb. A gap between the anode and cathode may be proximate a focus of the reflecting surface. The bulb may include an optically refractive wall configured such that a 0.24/0.13 NA power ratio for bulb light coupled to the interior ellipsoidal reflecting surface is between about 3.0 and about 3.3.

Abstract: An optical assembly, such as a multiple output diode laser pump source for EDFAs, is formed by pressing an optical array emitter chip against a standoff structure protruding from a submount such that the emitter chip deforms to match the curvature of the standoff structure. An IO chip is also juxtaposed against the standoff structure such that its optical receivers can receive optical energy from the emitter chip. The IO chip can provide various optical functions, and then provide an optical array output for coupling into an optical fiber array. The standoff structure preferably contacts the emitter chip over an aggregate contact area much smaller than the area by which the emitter chip overlaps the submount. The materials used for bonding the emitter chip and the IO chip to the submount are disposed in the recesses between standoffs and not on the contact surfaces of the standoff structure.

Abstract: An optical assembly, such as a multiple output diode laser pump source for EDFAs, is formed by pressing an optical array emitter chip against a standoff structure protruding from a submount such that the emitter chip deforms to match the curvature of the standoff structure. An IO chip is also juxtaposed against the standoff structure such that its optical receivers can receive optical energy from the emitter chip. The IO chip can provide various optical functions, and then provide an optical array output for coupling into an optical fiber array. The standoff structure preferably contacts the emitter chip over an aggregate contact area much smaller than the area by which the emitter chip overlaps the submount. The materials used for bonding the emitter chip and the IO chip to the submount are disposed in the recesses between standoffs and not on the contact surfaces of the standoff structure.

Abstract: Four-port optical circulators and apparatus employing such optical circulators are disclosed. The circulators utilize various arrangements of birefringent elements, polarization rotators and non-reciprocal polarization rotators to route optical signals from a first input/output (I/O) port to a second I/O port, from the second I/O port to a third I/O port, from the third I/O port to a fourth, and from the fourth I/O port to the first I/O port. The number of components and their configuration may be varied depending upon requirements of optical isolation, port configuration, manufacturability, yield and cost. Four-port circulators may be incorporated into an apparatus with optical signal conditioners, such as chirped fiber gratings, wavelength converters or optical amplifiers, optically coupled to one or more of the input/output ports. Alternatively, the circulators may be incorporated into a bidirectional add/drop apparatus with bandpass filters coupled to two of the input/output ports.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical device, and an optical apparatus are disclosed. In the manufacturing method an optical component is disposed proximate a collimator lens such that a reflecting portion of the optical component is disposed on a focal plane of the collimator lens. The reflecting portion of the optical component is configured to reflect at least a portion of an optical signal from a launch fiber back towards a receiving fiber that is disposed on the same side of the optical component as the launch fiber. The optical component is passively aligned at an angular orientation with respect to the focal plane of the collimator lens. The apparatus includes an optical component, a collimator lens, and a spacer disposed between the component and the collimator lens.

Abstract: Four-port optical circulators and apparatus employing such optical circulators are disclosed. The circulators utilize various arrangements of birefringent elements, polarization rotators and non-reciprocal polarization rotators to route optical signals from a first input/output (I/O) port to a second I/O port, from the second I/O port to a third I/O port, from the third I/O port to a fourth, and from the fourth I/O port to the first I/O port. The number of components and their configuration may be varied depending upon requirements of optical isolation, port configuration, manufacturability, yield and cost. Four-port circulators may be incorporated into an apparatus with optical signal conditioners, such as chirped fiber gratings, wavelength converters or optical amplifiers, optically coupled to one or more of the input/output ports. Alternatively, the circulators may be incorporated into a bidirectional add/drop apparatus with bandpass filters coupled to two of the input/output ports.

Abstract: An optical interleaver apparatus and method are disclosed. The interleaver apparatus generally includes a linear polarizer, a polarization rotator, and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The linear polarizer polarizes the input signal, if it is not already polarized. The polarization rotator rotates the input signal such that the Mach-Zehnder interferometer splits the rotated signal into two parts of equal intensity. The Mach-Zehnder introduces a phase difference between the two parts and then recombines the two parts so that they interfere. With a proper choice of the phase difference the two parts of the input signal interfere such that signal channel components in different frequency ranges have complementary polarizations. The signal channel components may then be separated into two output signals according to their respective polarizations.