Abstract: A method of calibrating a crossconnect including a MEMS device and another optical device, each of which further include a plurality of elements, the method including determining a relationship between an applied voltage and an angle response for a number of the elements of the MEMS device, determining a function of beam position and element position for the number of the elements of the MEMS device, assembling the MEMS device and the another optical device to produce the crossconnect, applying voltages to make sample connections between the MEMS device and the another optical device based on the relationship and the function, determining a transformation for the sample connections caused by packaging the crossconnect, and redetermining the relationship and the function based on the transformation. The method may be iterated more than once to achieve a more accurate determination.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an optical time-domain reflectometer which employs a so-called “out-of-band” offsetting to cancel the effects of Raman non-linearities which extract energy from the traffic signal wavelengths and amplify the test signal back-scattering. Losses and faults in the optical fibers are monitored by measuring the back-scattered portion of the light launched into the fiber, with the test signal back-scattering judiciously offset to account for the Raman non-linearities. That is, the effects of the Raman non-linearities are taken as a baseline measurement and, then accordingly used as a basis to offset the test signal back-scattering.

Abstract: The present invention employs polarizers and delay elements to effect the real-time measurement of optical parameters required to compute the polarization mode dispersion (PMD) in an optical fiber. The measurement is performed in situ and based on the remote sensing of the intensity levels of optical pulses transmitted through two polarizers deployed along the fiber for different known states of polarization at each of two wavelengths. In as much as information about the output states of polarization of the optical pulses contained in these latter intensity transmission measurements are made substantially coincident with the location of the polarizers, the return propagation of the optical pulses does not affect the measured polarization characteristics of the fiber.

Abstract: The present invention is an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) comprising a tree-structure of N-stage wavelength filters or “wavelength slicer” which “slice” the incident optical signal into desired groupings of individual sliced spectral components, each along a different output optical fiber. Cascaded fiber Bragg gratings and delay lines coupled to each output optical fiber then uniquely map the “sliced” spectral components into the time domain such that each spectral component is allocated a unique time slot.

Abstract: The present invention employs “polarization markers” deployed immediately after the branching portion of a passive optical network (PON) for measuring and monitoring transmission losses and faults. Each polarization marker is configured to produce a unique polarization dependent loss (PDL) within the corresponding branch of the PON. Since each polarization marker uniquely attenuates optical test pulse(s) launched into the PON, the back-scattering uniquely varies with the launched state of polarization. Losses within each branch of the PON are then monitored by measuring the back-scattered portion of the launched optical pulse(s) as a function of time for different known states of polarization, wherein the unique PDL associated with each polarization marker is used as the basis for distinguishing the branches from one another.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for quickly producing all possible linear polarization states of light at the output of a length of optical fiber. Linearly polarized light is input and is transmitted through a fiber. Due to the birefringence of the fiber, light at the output of the fiber is elliptically polarized irrespective of the input polarization. The elliptically polarized states of light at the output are generated as an arbitrary circle on an output Poincare sphere. This arbitrary circle is then manipulated to produce a final circle substantially coinciding with the equator of the Poincare sphere. This final circle represents all possible linear polarization states at the output of the fiber. The invention eliminates the need for determining transformation matrices and performing point-by-point calculations in order to obtain input polarization settings for polarization-based, passive optical network (“PON”) testing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for interfacing optical fiber cables with an optical integrated circuit. The apparatus comprises a flexible substrate having optical fibers fixedly arranged therein in a predetermined manner such that the distal ends of the optical fibers are disposed in groups on the outer periphery of the substrate to facilitate joining of the fibers with optical fibers of the optical fiber cables or ribbons using mass joining techniques. Once the optical fibers have been arranged in the substrate, the optical integrated circuit is mounted in the substrate. The substrate has an opening formed therein for receiving the optical integrated circuit. Once the optical integrated circuit has been mounted in the substrate, the proximal ends of the fibers fixed in the substrate are optically coupled to the ports of the optical integrated circuit.

Abstract: An optical fiber distribution frame includes a plurality of shelf units, a modular array disposed within each shelf unit and having a plurality of modules for optically connecting to optical fiber jumper cables and an optical interconnection backplane mounted within each shelf unit. The optical backplane includes a fiber circuit having a plurality of optical fibers for interconnecting the fibers of an incoming cable to corresponding modules of the modular array. The fiber circuit is supported on a support member which is slidably mounted within the shelf unit to expose a splice storage area where the incoming cable and fiber circuit is connected. The individual optical fibers of the fiber circuit are routed for connection to respective modules by a fiber routing substrate. The fiber routing substrate defines a plurality of tab portions which sort and combine the respective fibers connected to each modular location. The tab portions are sufficiently flexible to permit live withdrawal of the support member, i.

Abstract: Optical fiber (12)extending from an optical coupler (11) is routed on a substrate layer (13) by first inserting the optical coupler in a device holder (16) having a slotted member (17). An opening in a substrate layer is made to match a cavity (19) in a support member (20). The device holder is inserted in the cavity (19) of the support member (20) and the substrate layer (13) is supported by the support member (20) such that the opening exposes the device holder (16). The optical fiber extending from the optical coupler is inserted into a slot of the slotted member (17) such that a bridging portion (21) of the fiber bridges a distance between the upper surface of the substrate layer (13) and the slotted member (17). The bridging portion of the optical fiber is engaged with a routing device, and the fiber is then muted on the upper surface of the substrate layer (13).

Abstract: A winding tool (14) is provided on a manipulator (18) of a type used to route the optical fiber. A hook (22) extends from the winding tool to capture optical fiber (10) extending from a device (11), and the hook is retracted to secure the fiber. A routing wheel (17) is positioned between the device (11 ) to which the optical fiber is connected and the reel such that the wheel can press the optical fiber (10) against an adhesive-coated substrate. The winding tool then winds the optical fiber around a reel (16). The optical fiber next feeds from the reel (16) to the routing wheel (17) as the manipulator (18) is moved to route the optical fiber on the coated substrate. Preferably, prior to the winding and wheel positioning step, the optical fiber between the reel and the routing wheel is engaged with an alignment tool (27).

Abstract: Optical fibers are encapsulated, first by bonding them to a first surface (18) of a flat member (17) having first and second opposite major surfaces. The flat member and a sheet of thermoplastic (13) are placed in an air-tight chamber (10) such that a first major surface of the sheet faces the first major surface (18) of the flat member (17). Next, the air pressure on the second major surface of the flat member is made to be significantly lower than the air pressure on the second surface of the thermoplastic sheet (13), thereby to cause the sheet to press against the flat member. The thermoplastic sheet is heated sufficiently during this process to cause it to adhere to the first surface (18) of the flat member, thereby to encapsulate the optical fibers.

Abstract: A plurality of optical fibers (13) are first bonded to an upper surface of a flat flexible plastic substrate (12). The optical fibers are covered with a layer (20) of thermoplastic material to form a composite structure comprising the thermoplastic material, the optical fibers and the plastic substrate. The composite structure is then compressed at a first elevated temperature and at a first relatively high pressure which are sufficient to bond or tack the thermoplastic material to the plastic substrate. The temperature of a composite structure is then cool while maintaining the first relatively high pressure. Thereafter, a second elevated temperature is applied to the thermoplastic material while compressing the composite structure at a second pressure.

Abstract: Apparatus for routing optical fiber comprises an elongated manipulator (20, FIG. 2) having a vertical axis which can be controlled to move in an X-Y plane and in the .theta. direction around its vertical axis. A rotatable wheel (21) is mounted on a free end of the manipulator, and a reel (19) containing optical fiber (17) is mounted on one side of the manipulator. The fiber is threaded over a peripheral portion of the wheel and the wheel presses the fiber against an adhesive-coated surface of a substrate (18) to cause it to adhere to the coated surface. The manipulator is then moved in a direction parallel to the flat surface at an appropriate speed and direction to cause the wheel to rotate and to exert tension on the optical fiber. The tension causes additional optical fiber to unwind from the reel and to be fed to the wheel for adherence to the coated surface, thereby to form a continuous optical fiber portion extending along, and adhered to, the coated surface.

Abstract: An optical waveguide circuit including a nonlinear optical device comprises a metal ground plane (21), a polymer core layer (25) in which optical waves are propagated, and polymer clad layers (22 and 26) on opposite sides of the core layer. The waveguide paths are defined by troughs (23) in one of the clad layers. The nonlinear device is made by electrooptically poling part of the core layer which contains a nonlinear moiety. The clad layers (26 and 22) have a significantly higher conductivity than that of the core layer (25) which improves the efficiency of the electrooptic poling.

Abstract: A substantially parallel array of printed wiring boards (11A-E) each support a light source element (13A-E) and a light detector element (14A-E). Each light source element is connected to all of the light detector elements of the other printed wiring boards by optical fibers (18) supported in arcuate grooves (16) of an optical backplane member (12). Each source element is also connected to a source terminal (26) and each detector element is connected to a detector terminal (27), which permit bypass interconnections between selective source elements and detector elements. In another embodiment (FIGS. 10 and 11) a broad surface (33) of the optical backplane member (32) contacts edges of the printed wiring boards (31A-C).

Abstract: An electronic article surveillance and identification system employing a transceiver (10,11) for broadcasting an interrogation signal into a zone to track the location and movement therein of inventory, merchandise, vehicles, animals, people and objects carrying passive (unpowered) transponder tags (12) adapted to receive the interrogation signal, process the signal in an encoded surface acoustic wave device (15) having a predetermined pattern of reflection groove or grating transducers (30-39, 40-72) and echo an encoded response signal to the transceiver.

Abstract: Fluorescence enhancement is obtained using an optical waveguide consisting essentially of films of fluorescent molecules and of conductive material separated by a dielectric layer. The enhancement is believed to be due to the near field interaction between the molecules of the fluorescent material and the waveguide modal fields. No special couplers (prisms or gratings) are needed between the fluorescent material and the waveguide. The enhancement factor is in excess of two orders of magnitude over fluorescence from the material without the use of the waveguide.