Abstract: A flowable silicone-polyolefin composition is disclosed. The silicone-polyolefin composition comprises (A) a polysiloxane and (B) a functionalized polyolefin dispersed in the polysiloxane (A). The polysiloxane (A) comprises an average per molecule of at least one functional group X, and the functionalized polyolefin (B) comprises an average per molecule of at least one functional group Y that is reactable with the functional group X of the polysiloxane (A) to form a bond therebetween. A curable composition comprising the flowable silicone-polyolefin composition, a cured product of the curable composition, and methods of preparing the flowable silicone-polyolefin composition, curable composition, and cured product are also disclosed.

Abstract: An adaptive optics system is provided, comprising a spatial light modulator configured to modulate an incoming beam with an aberrated wavefront, a beamsplitter configured to receive the modulated beam from the spatial light modulator and to divide the modulated beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam, a spatial filter configured to spatially filter the reference beam, and to interfere the spatially filtered reference beam with the measurement beam to form an interferogram, an imaging device configured to capture an image of the interferogram, and a processor configured to determine the aberrated wavefront and to provide control signals to the spatial light modulator to mitigate aberrations in the aberrated wavefront.

Abstract: An adaptive optics system is provided, comprising a spatial light modulator configured to modulate an incoming beam with an aberrated wavefront, a beamsplitter configured to receive the modulated beam from the spatial light modulator and to divide the modulated beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam, a spatial filter configured to spatially filter the reference beam, and to interfere the spatially filtered reference beam with the measurement beam to form an interferogram, an imaging device configured to capture an image of the interferogram, and a processor configured to determine the aberrated wavefront and to provide control signals to the spatial light modulator to mitigate aberrations in the aberrated wavefront.

Abstract: A heterodyne communication system uses coherent data modulation that is resistant to phase noise. In particular, a pilot tone and reference clock signal are transmitted along with the modulated data to form the basis of an electrical demodulation local oscillator at the receiver. The pilot tone and/or reference clock signal carry phase noise which is correlated with the phase noise in the data signal. At the receiver, the local oscillator is generated from the pilot tone and reference clock signal in a manner so that the local oscillator also has phase noise which is correlated with the phase noise in the data signal. Thus, the two noise components can be used to cancel each other during demodulation of the data signal using the local oscillator.

Abstract: A transmitter subsystem generates an optical signal which contains multiple subbands of information. The subbands have different polarizations. For example, in one approach, two or more optical transmitters generate optical signals which have different polarizations. An optical combiner optically combines the optical signals into a composite optical signal for transmission across an optical fiber. In another aspect, each optical transmitter generates an optical signal containing both a lower optical sideband and an upper optical sideband (i.e., a double sideband optical signal). An optical filter selects the upper optical sideband of one optical signal and the lower optical sideband of another optical signal to produce a composite optical signal.

Abstract: A heterodyne communication system uses coherent data modulation that is resistant to phase noise. In particular, a pilot tone and reference clock signal are transmitted along with the modulated data to form the basis of an electrical demodulation local oscillator at the receiver. The pilot tone and/or reference clock signal carry phase noise which is correlated with the phase noise in the data signal. At the receiver, the local oscillator is generated from the pilot tone and reference clock signal in a manner so that the local oscillator also has phase noise which is correlated with the phase noise in the data signal. Thus, the two noise components can be used to cancel each other during demodulation of the data signal using the local oscillator.

Abstract: A heterodyne communication system uses coherent data modulation that is resistant to phase noise. In particular, a pilot tone and reference clock signal are transmitted along with the modulated data to form the basis of an electrical demodulation local oscillator at the receiver. The pilot tone and/or reference clock signal carry phase noise which is correlated with the phase noise in the data signal. At the receiver, the local oscillator is generated from the pilot tone and reference clock signal in a manner so that the local oscillator also has phase noise which is correlated with the phase noise in the data signal. Thus, the two noise components can be used to cancel each other during demodulation of the data signal using the local oscillator.

Abstract: A menu generation system and method for use by ordinary computer users enables those users to readily construct and modify menus and submenus to execute user-prepared commands. The system comprises a program operable by such users to construct a viewable main menu with a plurality of user-defined choices thereon, and if desired a number of levels of viewable submenus, which also may have a plurality of user-selected choices thereon. The program includes various components operable by such a user for carrying certain steps or procedures. The first component is used to construct the viewable main menu, and it automatically provides at least first, second and third user-selectable choices on the main menu. The first menu choice is for creating a new menu item on the main menu. The second menu choice is for creating a new submenu. The third menu choice is for quitting the current menu. The second component is used to modify the content of the main menu and the content of any submenus as a menu item.

Abstract: An optical communications system includes a receiver subsystem with at least two heterodyne receivers. The receiver subsystem receives a composite optical signal having two or more subbands of information and corresponding tones. An optical splitter splits the composite optical signal into optical signals. Each optical signal includes a subband(s) and corresponding tone. Each heterodyne receiver receives an optical signal. The receiver includes a heterodyne detector coupled to a signal extractor. The heterodyne detector mixes the optical signal with an optical local oscillator to produce an electrical signal which includes a frequency down-shifted version of the subband and the tone of the optical signal. The signal extractor mixes the frequency down-shifted subband with the frequency down-shifted tone to produce a frequency component containing the information.

Abstract: A transmitter subsystem generates an optical signal which contains multiple subbands of information. The subbands have different polarization. For example, in one approach, two or more optical transmitters generate optical signals which have different polarization. An optical combiner optically combines the optical signals into a composite optical signal for transmission across an optical fiber. In another aspect, each optical transmitter generates an optical signal containing both a lower optical sideband and an upper optical sideband (i.e., a double sideband optical signal). An optical filter selects the upper optical sideband of one optical signal and the lower optical sideband of another optical signal to produce a composite optical signal.

Abstract: A menu generation system and method for use by ordinary computer users enables those users to readily construct and modify menus and submenus to execute user-prepared commands. The system comprises a program operable by such users to construct a viewable main menu with a plurality of user-defined choices thereon, and if desired a number of levels of viewable submenus, which also may have a plurality of user-selected choices thereon. The program includes various components operable by such a user for carrying certain steps or procedures. The first component is used to construct the viewable main menu, and it automatically provides at least first, second and third user-selectable choices on the main menu. The first menu choice is for creating a new menu item on the main menu. The second menu choice is for creating a new submenu. The third menu choice is for quitting the current menu. The second component is used to modify the content of the main menu and the content of any submenus as a menu item.

Abstract: A frequency division multiplexing (FDM) node used in optical communications networks provides add-drop multiplexing (ADM) functionality between optical high-speed channels and electrical low-speed channels. The FDM node includes a high-speed system and an ADM crosspoint. The high-speed system converts between an optical high-speed channel and its constituent electrical low-speed channels through the use of frequency division multiplexing and preferably also QAM modulation. The ADM crosspoint couples incoming low-speed channels to outgoing low-speed channels, thus implementing the ADM functionality for the FDM node.

Abstract: A frequency division multiplexing (FDM) node used in optical communications networks provides add-drop multiplexing (ADM) functionality between optical high-speed channels and electrical low-speed channels. The FDM node includes a high-speed system and an ADM crosspoint. The high-speed system converts between an optical high-speed channel and its constituent electrical low-speed channels through the use of frequency division multiplexing and preferably also QAM modulation. The ADM crosspoint couples incoming low-speed channels to outgoing low-speed channels, thus implementing the ADM functionality for the FDM node.

Abstract: A device is used to wavelength lock two optical signals to some frequency offset. A photomixer section produces a frequency test signal from the beat component of the two optical signals. The frequency of the frequency test signal reflects whether the actual frequency offset of the two optical signals equals the desired offset. A frequency filter with a monotonically varying transfer function is used to filter the frequency test signal. Thus, different gains are applied to different frequencies. Comparison circuitry uses the filtered signal to determine whether the frequency filter applied the gain which corresponds to the desired frequency offset and generates a corresponding error signal.

Abstract: A transmitter subsystem generates an optical signal which contains multiple subbands of information. The subbands have different polarizations. For example, in one approach, two or more optical transmitters generate optical signals which have different polarizations. An optical combiner optically combines the optical signals into a composite optical signal for transmission across an optical fiber. In another approach, a single optical transmitter generates an optical signal with multiple subbands. The polarization of the subbands is varied, for example by using a birefringent crystal. In another aspect of the invention, each optical transmitter generates an optical signal containing both a lower optical sideband and an upper optical sideband (i.e., a double sideband optical signal). An optical filter selects the upper optical sideband of one optical signal and the lower optical sideband of another optical signal to produce a composite optical signal.

Abstract: A Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM), which divides a CW laser beam into two optical portions, is biased at a 180.degree. phase difference between the two optical portions. An RF signal and an LO signal are simultaneously applied to one of the optical portions of the laser beam to produce phase changes between the two optical portions. The two optical portions of the laser beam are then recombined into an optical output beam, which is detected by a photodetector. The photodetector generates a photocurrent, which contains a component at a beat frequency--i.e., the frequency difference between the RF and LO frequencies. The waveform of the photocurrent component at the beat frequency is substantially the same (except for amplitude and a fixed phase shift) as the waveform of the RF signal.