Abstract: A method and system for supplying thermal energy to a selected area, in which thermal energy is stored in a sensible heat storage. Thermal energy from the sensible heat storage is optically guided, and eventually also thermally conducted through a thermal energy propagation path from the sensible heat storage to the selected area. A flux of thermal energy is controlled through the propagation path from the sensible heat storage to the selected area to control the amount of thermal energy supplied to the selected area.

Abstract: A method and system for supplying thermal energy to a selected area, in which thermal energy is stored in a sensible heat storage. Thermal energy from the sensible heat storage is optically guided, and eventually also thermally conducted through a thermal energy propagation path from the sensible heat storage to the selected area.

Abstract: An optical device for filtering an optical signal is described. The optical filtering device comprises an optical input receiving the optical signal; an elongated waveguide connected to the input and having a modified transverse dimension to create a series of partially reflective segments having predetermined effective indices of refraction (neff) with a distribution within the waveguide to provide the filtering of the optical signal, wherein the segments are designed for single mode operation and wherein a reflected filtered output optical signal is generated, wherein the transverse dimension varies within a narrow range over which a transverse size of the mode remains close to its minimum value; an optical output connected to the waveguide for providing the filtered optical signal.

Abstract: An archival waveguide memory device is provided and comprises a large number of elongated waveguides and a series of partially reflective elements distributed within each of the waveguides in accordance with data to be stored within the waveguides so as to act upon an input optical signal in each one of the waveguides and to generate a reflected output optical signal able to be uniquely correlated with the data. A method of recording data in a waveguide is also provided. A method of retrieving data stored in a waveguide is further provided and comprises injecting a pulsed optical signal in the waveguide, detecting a reflected output optical signal from the waveguide, and decoding a temporal variation in the reflected output optical signal to retrieve the data.

Abstract: An optical device for filtering an optical signal is described. The optical filtering device comprises an optical input receiving the optical signal; an elongated waveguide connected to the input and having a modified transverse dimension to create a series of partially reflective segments having predetermined effective indices of refraction (neff) with a distribution within the waveguide to provide the filtering of the optical signal, wherein the segments are designed for single mode operation and wherein a reflected filtered output optical signal is generated, wherein the transverse dimension varies within a narrow range over which a transverse size of the mode remains close to its minimum value; an optical output connected to the waveguide for providing the filtered optical signal.

Abstract: The optical device provides dispersion adjustment or compensation using resonant coupling between a first waveguide and a second waveguide which has a variable thickness and a significantly different index of refraction. The two waveguides are optically coupled about a lateral coupling surface, and as light propagates down the waveguide, it passes from one waveguide to the other at a predetermined position along the propagation axis depending on the thickness of the second waveguide. Mode converters are used at the input and output of the device to provide for more efficient operation. The first waveguide can be made of silica and the second waveguide of silicon, thus providing a differential in the index of refraction of about 2. For dispersion compensation, in which shorter wavelengths need to be retarded with respect to longer wavelengths, the profile of the thickness of the second waveguide is such that shorter wavelengths spend more time in the silicon than do longer wavelengths.

Abstract: The antiresonant waveguide apparatus is for periodically selecting a first series of at least one optical wavelength from a first incoming light signal. It comprises a first waveguide having an input for receiving the incoming light signal, the first waveguide having guiding mirrors for guiding the incoming light signal, one of the guiding mirrors being a first partial reflectivity mirror; a second waveguide having guiding mirrors for guiding an outputting light signal containing the first series of at least one wavelength; and a first Fabry-Perot resonator adjacent to the first partial reflectivity mirror, and forming one of the guiding mirrors of the second waveguide. The Fabry-Perot resonator is a second partial reflectivity mirror for the second waveguide. The Fabry-Perot resonator has a predetermined thickness determining the first series of at least one optical wavelength transmitted through the Fabry-Perot resonator from the first waveguide to the second waveguide.

Abstract: A communications switch for switching telecommunications signals from input wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical fibers to output WDM optical fibers is disclosed. A two-dimensional optoelectronic switch is also described which uses tunable lasers and optical diffractive elements to switch a matrix of input/output gigabaud channels without blocking. As the channels proceed through the switch they are spatially switched among one another first within rows, then within columns, and then again within rows in the matrix. The two-dimensional optoelectronic tune-switch (2DOTS) can realize the functionality of the nonblocking three-stage Clos switch for input/output ports carrying several gigabit/s data streams.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for efficiently transforming light from concentrated sources into uniform diffse light. The apparatus comprises (1) a light guide resonator which comprises (A) a light guide and (B) mirrors for reflecting light back into the light guide; (2) means for injecting light from a light source into the light guide resonator; and (3) a light-diffusing element placed within the field distribution of the light in the resonator, the whole apparatus being designed to set up a regime of optical resonance. The light guide resonator is uniformly filled with light; within the resonator the uniformly lit light-diffusing element acts as an efficient light source of uniform brightness.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus comprising a source of pump radiation, a multilayer planar waveguide structure that can serve as an efficient harmonic generator, parametric amplifier or parametric oscillator, and means for utilizing the radiation generated in the waveguide structure. The structure consists of a multilayer core region bounded above and below by a (typically optically linear) cladding region. The core region comprises two optically nonlinear layers separated by an optically linear spacer. The layer thickness and refractive indices are selected such that, at a pump frequency f.sub.o, the effective index of the core region is greater than the respective refractive indices of the cladding regions, that the refractive indices of the two nonlinear layers are greater than the refractive index of the spacer, and that a predetermined mode of pump radiation is phasematched with a predetermined mode of a second radiation at a frequency .noteq.f.sub.

Abstract: A planar silicon dioxide waveguide with low loss for the TE mode has been built on a silicon wafer by separating the waveguide from the substrate with a relatively thin layer of polycrystalline silicon and a layer of silicon dioxide having a combined thickness less than that of the waveguide. The separating layers provide a high antiresonant reflectivity which is operative over a broad range of wavelengths.

Abstract: Tunable laser radiation is obtained by pumping a wedge-shaped ultra-short laser cavity with picosecond excitation pulses. Continuous tuning of the laser is achieved by translating either the wedge-shaped laser cavity or the excitation pulses so that different volumes of the laser material are exposed to the excitation pulses. In one embodiment utilizing picosecond laser excitation pulses the wedge-shaped laser cavity is a slightly wedged film of GaAs coated on both sides with dielectric mirrors.

Abstract: Broadband laser gain is obtained in semiconductor materials by pumping an ultra-short laser cavity with picosecond excitation pulses. The broadband laser gain is used to provide picosecond laser radiation energy covering a wide spectrum of frequencies.