Abstract: A light source assembly comprises a light pipe, a first color light source at a first tapered light collector, a second light source at a second tapered light collector, and at least a first dichroic filter operative to pass first color light and to reflect second color light toward a light output port. A light valve may be positioned to receive light from the light pipe. One or more light entrances to the light pipe may have a filter, e.g., a short wave pass filter, oriented in a plane generally parallel to the axial optical pathway.

Abstract: A light source assembly comprises a light pipe, a first color light source at a first tapered light collector, a second light source at a second tapered light collector, and at least a first dichroic filter operative to pass first color light and to reflect second color light toward a light output port. A light valve may be positioned to receive light from the light pipe. One or more light entrances to the light pipe may have a filter, e.g., a short wave pass filter, oriented in a plane generally parallel to the axial optical pathway.

Abstract: Gain-flattening components for compensation of at least a portion of the spectral gain profile of an optical amplifier comprises an optical substrate having at least a first gain-flattening filter disposed on a first surface of the optical substrate and a second gain-flattening filter disposed on a second surface of the optical substrate. The first gain-flattening filter has a transmission curve with a spectral loss profile for optical signals in the optical wavelength range, and has a net insertion loss error function relative to the spectral gain profile of an optical amplifier. The spectral loss profile of the second gain-flattening filter corresponds to the net insertion error function of the first gain-flattening filter. Gain-flattening optical amplifiers comprise one or more such gain-flattening components and at least one optical signal amplifier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus accommodate for wavelength drift of optical sources. The apparatus includes an optical source having a wavelength control port and an output port, providing one or more optical signals that drift at a first rate. A signal generator within the apparatus provides a control signal to the wavelength control port of the optical source that causes wavelength variations to be superimposed on the wavelength drift of the one or more optical signals. The superimposed wavelength variations occur at a second rate that exceeds the first rate. The apparatus also includes a receiver coupled to the output port of the optical source, that receives the one or more optical signals having the superimposed wavelength variations. The receiver accommodates for the wavelength variations caused by the control signal, enabling a received wavelength to be distinguished from the drifting wavelength of the optical source. A corresponding method accommodates for wavelength drift of optical sources.

Abstract: A wavelength meter for measuring the wavelength of an input light signal. The meter includes a beam splitter, a fixed mirror, and a moveable mirror, the beam splitter splits the input signal into a first input signal and a second input signal, the first and second input signals being reflected from the fixed and moveable mirrors, respectively, and being recombined by the beam splitter. A measurement detector generates a measurement signal related to the amplitude of the recombined input signal. The meter also includes a reference light source for generating a reference light signal that is split by the beam splitter into first and second reference light signals. The first reference light signal is reflected by the fixed mirror and the second reference light signal is reflected by the moving mirror, the beam splitter recombines the first and second reference light signals to form a combined reference light signal.

Abstract: A wavelength meter for measuring the wavelength of an input light signal. The meter includes a beam splitter, a fixed mirror, and a moveable mirror, the beam splitter splits the input signal into a first input signal and a second input signal, the first and second input signals being reflected from the fixed and moveable mirrors, respectively, and being recombined by the beam splitter. The first reference light signal is reflected by the fixed mirror and the second reference light signal is reflected by the moving mirror, the beam splitter recombines the first and second reference light signals to form a combined reference light signal. The amplitude of the combined reference light signal is detected by a reference detector that generates a reference signal related to the amplitude of the combined reference light signal.

Abstract: A measurement scheme characterizes chromatic dispersion of an optical system having physically separated access points. A modulation signal at a local access point of the optical system and a reference signal at a remote access point of the optical system are generated and the signals are synchronized via timing signals derived from global positioning satellites (GPS). The modulation signal modulates optical test signals having predetermined optical wavelengths and the modulated optical test signals are applied to the local access point of the optical system. Modulated optical test signals are transmitted through the optical system from the local access point to the remote access point where the signals are demodulated. The time delay of the demodulated signal relative to the reference signal is measured at the remote access point by a phase comparison of the demodulated signal and the reference signal or alternatively by measuring the relative time delay directly.

Abstract: A measurement scheme measures dispersive characteristics of optical components. The scheme includes modulation phase shift measurements performed on modulated optical carriers where the carrier frequency and the modulation frequency of the modulated optical carriers are adjusted to maintain a reference modulation sideband. A reference phase term is established by the reference modulation sideband in each of the modulation phase shift measurements. Phase indices of refraction at discrete optical frequencies of non-reference modulation sidebands are extracted from the modulation phase shift measurements. The extracted phase indices are used to calculate relative group delay and chromatic dispersion as measures of dispersive characteristics of the optical component.

Abstract: An apparatus for characterizing a short optical input pulse is provided. The apparatus has an optical disperser and an analyzer. The optical disperser disperses the input pulse temporally to an extent adequate for the analyzer to analyze. The analyzer analyzes the intensity and phase characteristics of the dispersed pulse which is used to obtain the intensity and phase characteristics of the input pulse. The characteristics of the input pulse are obtained by mathematically back-propagating the dispersed pulse through the disperser. Preferably, the analyzer has a discriminator that splits the dispersed pulse into two portions that travel along two paths of unequal length and then collimating the two portions to obtain optical interference. By analyzing the optical interference, the intensity and the phase of the dispersed pulse can be determined.