Abstract: An apparatus comprising a plurality of optical transmitters and a wavelength locker shared by the plurality of optical transmitters. A periodic transmission filter used for wavelength locker operations is in a network communication path and shapes optical transmissions from the plurality of optical transmitters to a network. An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to receive a pre-filter signal corresponding to part of an optical signal comprising a pilot tone and to receive a post-filter signal corresponding to a part of the optical signal that passes through a period transmission filter, wherein a filtered part of the optical signal is directed into a network. The processor is also configured to perform wavelength locking based on a quadrature detection technique that aligns an adiabatic logical one position of a modulated transmission signal with a spectral transmission peak of the period transmission filter.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a wireless traffic sensor system. The system includes a plurality of wireless traffic sensors collecting traffic information from one or more vehicles that pass by; and at least one wireless communication device that receives the traffic information from at least one of the wireless traffic sensors and relays the traffic information to a wireless communication tower in vicinity. At least one of the wireless traffic sensors is placed inside a container and has a mounting flange that lays over edge of the container and is affixed to the container by one or more spring clips. The spring clips are not physically accessible once the wireless traffic sensor is affixed to the container, and are released only upon receiving a coded wireless electromagnetic signal or by a special tool that matches to a key inside the wireless traffic sensor.

Abstract: An optical apparatus, comprising a polarization beam splitter (PBS) comprising a birefringent crystal having a front-end and a back-end, and an optical rotator positioned on the back-end of the birefringent crystal. Included is an optical apparatus comprising a PBS comprising a birefringent crystal and an optical rotator, wherein the PBS is configured to receive a multiplexed optical signal comprising a first polarized optical signal and a second polarized optical signal, wherein the second polarized optical signal is orthogonal to the first polarized optical signal, separate the first polarized optical signal from the second polarized optical signal using the birefringent crystal, and rotate the second polarized optical signal using the optical rotator such that the rotated second polarized optical signal is parallel to the first polarized optical signal. The PBS may further comprise only one lens, wherein the lens is positioned on the front-end of the birefringent crystal.

Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing machine includes a work table, polishing platen mounted onto the work table, pad conditioner and slurry-delivery device mounted on the work table and disposed near the polishing platen, and polishing-head support mounted on the work table and including a base plate and supporting side plates. The base plate is formed with a groove in a “thickness” direction. A loading and unloading table is mounted on the work table, disposed below the base plate, and opposed to the polishing platen. A polishing head is rotatably disposed on the polishing-head support, movable in the longitudinal direction, and passes through the groove to extend downwardly. A robotic manipulator is disposed near the work table for placing a wafer on the loading and unloading table and taking the wafer away from it. A chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus includes an array of a plurality of the machine.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a plurality of optical transmitters and a wavelength locker shared by the plurality of optical transmitters. A periodic transmission filter used for wavelength locker operations is in a network communication path and shapes optical transmissions from the plurality of optical transmitters to a network. An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to receive a pre-filter signal corresponding to part of an optical signal comprising a pilot tone and to receive a post-filter signal corresponding to a part of the optical signal that passes through a period transmission filter, wherein a filtered part of the optical signal is directed into a network. The processor is also configured to perform wavelength locking based on a quadrature detection technique that aligns an adiabatic logical one position of a modulated transmission signal with a spectral transmission peak of the period transmission filter.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a wireless traffic sensor system. The system includes a plurality of wireless traffic sensors collecting traffic information from one or more vehicles that pass by; and at least one wireless communication device that receives the traffic information from at least one of the wireless traffic sensors and relays the traffic information to a wireless communication tower in vicinity. At least one of the wireless traffic sensors is placed inside a container and has a mounting flange that lays over edge of the container and is affixed to the container by one or more spring clips. The spring clips are not physically accessible once the wireless traffic sensor is affixed to the container, and are released only upon receiving a coded wireless electromagnetic signal or by a special tool that matches to a key inside the wireless traffic sensor.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for producing a phase coded non-return-to-zero (PC-NRZ) optical signal. The method includes providing an input optical signal; providing first and second drive signals, the first drive signal having a first data pattern of first and second signal levels, the second drive signal having a second data pattern, the second data pattern having third and fourth signal levels that toggle at least when the first drive signal changes from the first signal level to the second signal level; and modulating amplitude of the input optical signal with the first drive signal and modulating phase of the input optical signal with the second drive signal to produce the PC-NRZ optical signal. A PC-NRZ optical transmitter and an optical transmission system applying the PC-NRZ optical transmitter are also provided.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for implementing carrier suppressed data format on conventional OTDM modules is provided. Adaptive phase shifting of optical signals traversing one of the tributaries of an OTDM module is performed with feedback loop control. A tapped portion of the input carrier signal is phase modulated at a frequency fc, and is combined with a tapped portion of the output from the OTDM. A phase shifter controller fed with this combined signal photodetects and band-pass filters the signal around fc to extract the amplitude of the AC component of the envelope of the combined signal, which depends upon the phase difference between successive pulses of the OTDM output. This signal is used to control a phase shifter coupled along one of the tributaries of the OTDM to adjust the phase difference of the signals of the two tributaries so that carrier suppression results.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided comprising a dual optical amplifier. The two optical amplifiers are integrated, in that they share at a set of optical, electrical, or opto-electrical components. The two optical amplifiers may share a pump laser. Alternatively, the optical amplifiers may share photo-detectors. Methods of controlling the signal strength of output signals are also provided. A chip-based integrated optical dual amplifier, using Erbium-Doped Waveguides, is also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for producing a phase coded non-return-to-zero (PC-NRZ) optical signal. The method includes providing an input optical signal; providing first and second drive signals, the first drive signal having a first data pattern of first and second signal levels, the second drive signal having a second data pattern, the second data pattern having third and fourth signal levels that toggle at least when the first drive signal changes from the first signal level to the second signal level; and modulating amplitude of the input optical signal with the first drive signal and modulating phase of the input optical signal with the second drive signal to produce the PC-NRZ optical signal. A PC-NRZ optical transmitter and an optical transmission system applying the PC-NRZ optical transmitter are also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optical communications. In one implementation, a communications device is provided. The communications device includes an Optical domain Adaptive Dispersion Compensation Module (OADCM); an Electrical domain Adaptive Distortion Compensation Module (EADCM); and a controller coupled to, and operable to selectively control, both the OADCM and the EADCM.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for interconnecting an electrical signal from a first electronic device to a second electronic device. The apparatus includes at least one optical signal path and first and second terminals integrally integrated with the optical signal path. The first and second terminals having respective first and second electrical interfaces and being separated by a distance in a range, up to the length of the optical signal path, adapted to connect the first and second electronic devices at respective first and second locations. The first electrical interface adapted to receive the electrical signal from the first electronic device and to convey the electrical signal to the second terminal via the optical signal path, and the second electrical interface adapted to transfer the electrical signal to the second electronic device. A method for performing the same is also provided.

Abstract: A novel optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) module based on hybrid-integrated optical chips is disclosed. An integrated modulator chip generates optical RZ signal streams which are then interleaved in an integrated time-delay chip to produce an OTDM signal. The integrated modulator chip is coupled and secured to the integrated time-delay chip via a suitable optical index-matching layer or collimating lenses. Such an approach alleviates the stability problems offered by conventional fiber-based OTDM technology and aids in reducing the size and complexity as well as lowering the cost for the assembly. Furthermore, the time-delay chip of the present invention offers fine tuning capabilities thereby allowing for slight adjustments in the interleaving of optical signal streams when non-standard data transmission rates are required.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing compact dispersion compensation modules. In one implementation, a dispersion compensation module includes a polarizer having a first port, a second port, and a third port. The dispersion compensation module also includes a reflection etalon and a quarter-waveplate positioned between the reflection etalon and the second port of the polarizer.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus is provided for introducing tunable second order polarization mode dispersion compensation to an optical signal without introducing any first order polarization mode dispersion into the optical signal. A method and an apparatus is also provided for tunable chromatic dispersion compensation by rotating the polarization state of an input signal to match the chromatic like second order PMD compensation provided by the present invention. In one configuration, birefringent elements are arranged into at least two stages, each stage having at least two birefringent elements, each birefringent element of one stage oriented orthogonal to a corresponding birefringent element of a corresponding stage. In another configuration, the polarization of optical signals emerging from each birefringent element are rotated to create effective orthogonal orientations between corresponding birefringent elements of corresponding stages.

Abstract: A novel integrated multiple-rate optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) module is disclosed. An integrated set of modulators generates optical RZ signal streams which are then time-delayed by a set of integrated optical delay switching and combining arrays and interleaved to produce an OTDM signal. The integrated optical delay switching and combining arrays are adapted to be controllably set to various delays to facilitate interleaving of many possible bit-rates. Such an approach alleviates stability problems offered by conventional fiber-based OTDM technology, increases flexibility, aids in reducing the size, complexity, and cost. Furthermore, the OTDM chip of the present invention offers fine tuning capabilities thereby allowing for slight adjustments in the interleaving of optical signal streams if needed. The present invention also provides for the integration of an optical pulse source chip and a multiple-rate OTDM chip onto a single substrate or platform using hybrid packaging technology.

Abstract: According to the invention there is provided a method of controlling an optical communication system comprising an optical transmitter, an optical receiver and an optical fiber interconnecting the optical transmitter and the optical receiver, the method comprising determining the performance of the optical communication system and controlling at least one setting parameter of the optical transmitter according to the measured performance.

Abstract: A multi-purpose bit error rate tester (MPBERT) and a method of bit error rate (BER) testing of electrical and optical components and subsystems of electrical and optical communications systems is provided. The invention provides for bit error rate testing both in the optical and the electrical domain, and for bit error rate testing at higher than achievable rates in the electrical domain by multiplexing and demultiplexing in the optical domain. An MPBERT constructed according to the invention incorporates at least one optical multiplexer, and advantageously incorporates at least one optical demultiplexer, and in some embodiments uses high data rate optical RZ to NRZ conversion and high data rate optical NRZ to RZ conversion.

Abstract: A Re-Configurable Dispersion Compensation Module is provided. A new approach to the variable DCM, the RDCM combines existing optical switch technology with existing fixed DCM technology and advantageously also with existing TDCM technology into a programmable smart optical component. Advantageously Micro-Electrical Mechanical Switch (MEMS) optical switch technology may be used. The alternate RDCM technology provides a controller, and a set of controllable switches to employ a set of DCMs and TDCMs for adjusting the dispersion compensation along an optical signal path. This alternate RDCM technology mitigates the problems of conventional TDCMs, while fitting most of the requirements for high speed systems, and being of a compact size.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing compact dispersion compensation modules. In one implementation, a dispersion compensation module includes a polarizer having a first port, a second port, and a third port. The dispersion compensation module also includes a reflection etalon and a quarter-waveplate positioned between the reflection etalon and the second port of the polarizer.