Abstract: Nanoimprinted films, devices including nanoimprinted films, methods for making such films, and devices and apparatuses for making such films are described herein. The nanoimprinted films can be used to provide an antireflective coating for windows, windshields, visors, lenses, and other devices.

Abstract: Embodiments herein are directed to a metamaterial transmission filters including a metamaterial component and a upper medium positioned within proximity of the metamaterial component such that movement of the upper medium changes the resonances and optical transmission, reflection or absorption spectra of the filter. The upper material may be a natural material or a second metamaterial identical or non-identical to the metamaterial component. Embodiments herein are designed to allow both continuous tuning of the optical spectra of the assembly and/or discrete spectral switching.

Abstract: A material is disclosed which possesses at least two of the following characteristics: (a) is optically transparent at a wavelength in the range from about 1500 nm to about 1560 nm; (b) has a 1/n dn/dt greater than that of silicon, (c) has an extinction coefficient, k, less than 10?3. In certain preferred embodiments, the material has the following characteristics: (a) 1/n dn/dt greater than that of silicon, and (b) an extinction coefficient, k, less than 10?3 at 1550 nm. In another aspect, a material comprising semiconductor nanocrystals, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystals are capable of displaying thermo-optic effects in bulk form and being sufficiently non-absorbing at a predetermined wavelength to be optically transparent at that wavelength is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the predetermined wavelength is about 1550 nm. Thin film, optical filters, and devices are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical dispersion compensator including: a spacer element having a top surface and a bottom surface; a thin film, multi-layer mirror formed on the top surface of the spacer element, the thin film mirror having a thermally tunable reflectivity; a highly reflective mirror element formed on the bottom surface of the spacer element; and a heater element for controlling a temperature of the thermally tunable thin film mirror.

Abstract: According to various embodiments and aspects of the present invention, there is provided a dynamically tunable thin film interference coating including one or more layers with thermo-optically tunable refractive index. Tunable layers within thin film interference coatings enable a new family of thin film active devices for the filtering, control, modulation of light. Active thin film structures can be used directly or integrated into a variety of photonic subsystems to make tunable lasers, tunable add-drop filters for fiber optic telecommunications, tunable polarizers, tunable dispersion compensation filters, and many other devices.

Abstract: An optical instrument including: a thermo-optically tunable, thin film, free-space interference filter having a tunable passband which functions as a wavelength selector, the filter including a sequence of alternating layers of amorphous silicon and a dielectric material deposited one on top of the other and forming a Fabry-Perot cavity structure having: a first multi-layer thin film interference structure forming a first mirror; a thin-film spacer layer deposited on top of the first multi-layer interference structure, the thin-film spacer layer made of amorphous silicon; and a second multi-layer thin film interference structure deposited on top of the thin-film spacer layer and forming a second mirror; a lens for coupling an optical beam into the filter; an optical detector for receiving the optical beam after the optical beam has interacted with the interference filter; and circuitry for heating the thermo-optically tunable interference filter to control a location of the passband.

Abstract: This invention relates to a number of components, devices and networks involving integrated optics and/or half coupler technology, all of which involve the use of electronically switchable Bragg grating devices and device geometries realized using holographic polymer/dispersed liquid crystal materials. Most of the components and devices are particularly adapted for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems and in particular for use in switchable add/drop filtering (SADF) and wavelength selective crossconnect. Attenuators, outcouplers and a variety of other devices are also provided.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device including a header having an upper surface and including a plurality of conducting pins extending up through the upper surface; an optical device; a tunable optical filter, wherein the optical device and the tunable optical filter are arranged in a vertical stack mounted on and extending above the upper surface of the header and wherein the tunable optical filter is electrically connected to the plurality of conducting pins; and a cap affixed to the header and along with the header defining a sealed interior containing the optical device and the tunable optical filter, wherein the cap has a top surface with a window formed therein, and wherein the window is aligned with the tunable optical filter and the optical device.

Abstract: A switchable optical filter including a first thin-film optical bandpass filter portion; and a second thin-film optical bandpass filter portion, wherein both the first and second thin-film optical bandpass filter portions are adjacent to each other and form parts of single integral structure, and wherein the first thin-film optical bandpass filter is thermally tunable and is characterized by a passband that shifts as a function of temperature and wherein the second thin-film optical bandpass filter is thermally non-tunable.

Abstract: This invention relates to a number of components, devices and networks involving integrated optics and/or half coupler technology, all of which involve the use of electronically switchable Bragg grating devices and device geometries realized using holographic polymer/dispersed liquid crystal materials. Most of the components and devices are particularly adapted for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems and in particular for use in switchable add/drop filtering (SADF) and wavelength selective crossconnect. Attenuators, outcouplers and a variety of other devices are also provided.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device including a header having an upper surface and including a plurality of conducting pins extending up through the upper surface; an optical device; a tunable optical filter, wherein the optical device and the tunable optical filter are arranged in a vertical stack mounted on and extending above the upper surface of the header and wherein the tunable optical filter is electrically connected to the plurality of conducting pins; and a cap affixed to the header and along with the header defining a sealed interior containing the optical device and the tunable optical filter, wherein the cap has a top surface with a window formed therein, and wherein the window is aligned with the tunable optical filter and the optical device.

Abstract: This invention relates to a number of components, devices and networks involving integrated optics and/or half coupler technology, all of which involve the use of electronically switchable Bragg grating devices and device geometries realized using holographic polymer/dispersed liquid crystal materials. Most of the components and devices are particularly adapted for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems and in particular for use in switchable add/drop filtering (SADF) and wavelength selective crossconnect. Attenuators, outcouplers and a variety of other devices are also provided.

Abstract: An optical instrument may include a tunable free-space filter as a wavelength selector. That optical instrument may be an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA). Indeed, the OSA may be constructed and arranged as an optical channel monitor for wavelength-division multiplexed optical communication systems. The tunable free-space filter may be a tunable thin film filter (TTFF). The TTFF may be thermo-optically tunable. The tunable filter may be a multi-layer film structure incorporating thin film semiconductor materials. The temperature, and hence the wavelength, of the TTFF may be controlled by various heating and cooling structures. Various TTFF structures are also possible. The TTFF may have a single-cavity Fabry-Perot structure or may have a multi-cavity structure. Packaging variants can also be made. Any one or more of several calibration aids can be included, such as an external source of one or more known wavelength signals, or an internal source of one or more known wavelength signals.

Abstract: A method of controlling an optical signal having a first wavelength, includes passing the optical signal through a device, the device substantially transparent to the first wavelength; and selectively illuminating the device with an optical signal at a second wavelength, illumination of the device by the second wavelength causing alteration of optical properties of the device relative to the first wavelength. An optically controlled optical filter, includes a semiconductor film whose transmission of a first optical wavelength varies with illumination at a second optical wavelength.

Abstract: An optical system including a steered beam, further includes a source of a light beam; a device which receives the light beam and steers it to form the steered beam; a target of the steered beam; and a semi-transparent sensor having an output signal indicative of a deviation of the steered beam from the target. A method of performing real-time control of an optical switch includes steering an optical beam onto a target within the switch; measuring a deviation of the optical beam from a nominal center of the target, while the optical beam is on the target; and correcting the direction of the optical beam to the nominal center of the target.

Abstract: A variety of optical components or nodes are provided which components are formed utilizing holographically polymerized polymer/liquid crystal composites, and which components include free space/unguided wave switches, guided wave switches, out/in couplers, reflection nodes/reflection filters and guided wave interconnect nodes. Selected ones of these nodes may be designed to operate either in a single wavelength mode or in a multiwavelength WDM mode. All of the components are switchable so as to able to modify the component output to which an optical signal received on a component input is applied as a function of an electric field applied across the component, and to vary the channel outputted on a given output for WDM operation.

Abstract: A coupling mechanism for a non-identical dual core optical fiber. The fiber is sensitized along selected portions of its length by coating the fiber in a pattern of bands of specified spacing with material that is sensitive to the presence of a predetermined parameter or environmental field. By virtue of inequality of propagation properties and mismatch of optical phase of the fields of the two cores, evanescent wave coupling is largely or wholly suppressed except in those portions of length coated in the specified spatially periodic manner. Optical power launched into one of the two cores remains propagating within that core alone over an extended length of the fiber, except for that period of time when the predetermined parameter or environmental field is sensed. The specific spatial periodicity of the pattern of coating bands on the outside of the fiber acts in concert with the nonidentical propagation parameters of the two cores to effect intercore coupling of optical energy.