Abstract: A long life laser wavelength meter is based on a Michelson interferometer with a flexure scanner. The scanner has a bar, preferably balanced about a pivot axis defined by a flexural pivot which supports the bar. Retroreflectors are mounted on the bar, equally spaced from the pivot axis. Long life is obtained by cycling or oscillating the bar over a limited range of angular movement within the bending limits of the flexure, which obtains a predicted, essentially infinite cycle life of the flexure. A large optical path length change for each scan of the oscillating bar is obtained through the use of the retroreflectors which fold the optical paths of each arm of the interferometer before reaching a fixed end mirror. The end mirror directs each optical path back through the same set of optical components, including the retroreflectors, to a beamsplitter which combines the light beams from both paths creating an optical interference beam output to a detector.

Abstract: Coarse alignment between either of the sections and the optical device is effected by using a vision subsystem comprising of two video cameras or a single movable camera and a sideview mirror. Coarse alignment is achieved by aligning corresponding corners of a section and the optical device. Then, given that the dimensions and positioning of the ports and the fibers are known, the optical device is translated along two axes to coarsely align its port with the fibers on the section to be attached. Fine alignment is effected by passing an optical signal through the optical device and adjusting the position/orientation of the optical device to maximize the intensity of light output from the output ports. The optical device is placed on a six axis robot and is adjusted to optimize its alignment with either of the input or the output sections.

Abstract: An output optical receiver is equipped with an array of multimode optical fibers. Each multimode fiber has a core size or core diameter that is much larger than the width of the output ports of the waveguide device. The multimode fibers are spaced apart such that each fiber only receives light from one output port. Each multimode fiber is coupled to an optical power meter. The optical power meter measures the intensity of the optical signal received by the multimode fiber. The optical signal can be provided by a broadband optical signal source or wavelength tunable laser coupled to an input fiber aligned to the input port of the waveguide device. The output optical receiver is also equipped with a cross hair sight and camera to assist in aligning the receiver with the waveguide device.

Abstract: Broadband light is fed into the input optical fiber and the fiber is placed adjacent an input port of a waveguide device. An aperture plate with a suitably sized aperture is placed between the relevant output ports of the waveguide device and a light intensity detector. The light intensity detector is coupled to an optical power meter that measures the intensity of the light received by the detector. The aperture plate filters out extraneous light emanating from the areas of the waveguide device surrounding the relevant output ports. The detector then receives the incoming light and the power meter measures its intensity. The position of the input optical fiber is then adjusted as required to maximize the intensity of the light received by the detector.

Abstract: A dual beam interferometer in which the motion of a mirror produces optical path variation resulting in fringes at photodetectors provides direct, selectable measurement of wavelength and frequency of an input laser beam with high accuracy and over a large frequency and wavelength range without the need for correction due to differences in the index of refraction over the range.