Optical Fiber Patents (Class 359/341.1)
  • Patent number: 7061667
    Abstract: An L-band EDFA may have three amplifier stages. In the first stage, a high power 980 nm laser is used to generate C-band ASE noise which is used to pump the erbium doped fiber of the second stage. The second stage fiber is arranged as a plug-in module which connects between a first stage isolator and a mid-stage loss between the second and third stages. The desired gain of the amplifier is obtained by selecting a plug-in module with a length of fiber that will give the desired amplifier output power for a given input power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Marconi UK Intellectual Property Ltd.
    Inventor: Steven Ian Pegg
  • Patent number: 7054061
    Abstract: A split-band amplifying apparatus that has a first section for amplifying a long wavelength band of an optical signal and a second section equipped with a fiber amplifier for amplifying a short wavelength band of the optical signal. The fiber amplifier in the second section uses a short-pass fiber with a depressed cladding cross-section and core doped with an active material, e.g., Erbium, and pumped to a high relative inversion D. The split-band amplifying apparatus can be used to amplify signals whose short wavelength band includes at least a portion of the S-band and whose long wavelength band includes at least a portion of the C- and/or L-band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Lightwave Electronics Mountain View
    Inventors: Mark A. Arbore, Jeffrey D. Kmetec, Yidong Zhou
  • Patent number: 7038844
    Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier includes a length of silica optical fiber having a core doped with neodymium, a first cladding and a second cladding each with succeeding lower refractive indices, where the first cladding diameter is less than 10 times the diameter of the core. The doping concentration of the neodymium is chosen so that the small signal absorption for 816 nm light traveling within the core is less than 15 dB/m above the other fiber losses. The amplifier is optically pumped with one laser into the fiber core and with another laser into the first cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Jay W. Dawson, Zhi Ming Liao, Raymond J. Beach, Alexander D. Drobshoff, Stephen A. Payne, Deanna M. Pennington, Wolfgang Hackenberg, Domenico Bonaccini Calia, Luke Taylor
  • Patent number: 7034995
    Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier is considered comprising a mono-mode core, a first cladding around said core and at least a further cladding around said first cladding while said first cladding includes a ring shaped active region doped with rare earth material surrounding said mono-mode core. Advantageously, the first cladding is designed with a radial refractive index following an almost continuous decreasing function for increasing radius. The use of a continuously decreasing refractive index for the cladding at the outer border of the ring shaped active medium optimize the efficiency of the coupling between the core and the cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: ALCATEL
    Inventors: Lionel Provost, Christian Simonneau, Isabelle Bongrand, Philippe Bousselet, Christine Moreau, Dominique Bayart, Laurent Gasca
  • Patent number: 7027217
    Abstract: An optical pulse testing apparatus incorporating an optical pulse generator composed of low cost components. The optical pulse testing apparatus comprises: a ring optical path including an optical fiber 30 with a rare earth element added to; an excitation light source 32 which enters excitation optical pulses into the optical fiber 30; an optical branching filter 38 for branching the circulating optical pulses circulating through the ring optical path to emit output optical pulses; and a photodetector 40 for detecting the circulating optical pulses circulating through the ring optical path to obtain signals indicative of a light intensity and a generation timing of the circulating optical pulses. Thus, the optical pulse generator, and the optical pulse testing apparatus and method using the optical pulse generator require no expensive optical parts and complicated device control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Advantest Corp.
    Inventor: Eiji Kanou
  • Patent number: 7023610
    Abstract: An ultraviolet laser apparatus having a single-wavelength oscillating laser generating laser light between an infrared band and a visible band, an optical amplifier for amplifying the laser light, and a wavelength converting portion converting the amplified laser light into ultraviolet light using a non-linear optical crystal. An exposure apparatus transfers a pattern image of a mask onto a substrate and includes a light source having a laser apparatus emitting laser light having a single wavelength, a first fiber optical amplifier for amplifying the laser light, a light dividing device for dividing or branching the amplified laser light into plural lights, and second fiber optical amplifiers for amplifying the plural divided or branched lights, respectively, and a transmission optical system for transmitting the laser light emitted from the light source to the exposure apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoko Ohtsuki, Soichi Owa
  • Patent number: 7018111
    Abstract: A light amplifier includes a source of multiple light beams, each modulated with the same information, and a plurality of light amplifying optical fibers, each amplifying one of the light beams. The amplified light from each amplifying fiber is converted to electric form, and the electrical signals are summed to add the information and average the noise. In one embodiment, the bundle of fibers is twisted as it is wound about a cylinder, to average the compressive and tension forces on the fibers of the bundle. In another embodiment, a common cladding surrounds a bundle of fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Mark C. Chiappetta
  • Patent number: 7016106
    Abstract: Disclosed is a gain-controllable wideband optical fiber amplifier for amplifying both C-band and L-band optical signals, which comprises: a first amplifying section configured to (1) be pumped in at least one direction, (2) amplify both C-band and L-band optical signals and (3) output an amplified spontaneous emission; an optical attenuator for attenuating the power of the spontaneous emission; and a second amplifying section pumped by the attenuated spontaneous emission to secondarily amplify the amplified L-band optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwan-Woong Song, Seong-Taek Hwang, Jun-Ho Koh
  • Patent number: 6995900
    Abstract: A method of producing a short-pass fiber by drawing a preform for a depressed cladding fiber at a predetermined drawing ratio. The preform has a core of refractive index n0, a depressed cladding surrounding the core and having a refractive index n1, and a secondary cladding surrounding the depressed cladding and having a refractive index n2. The core has a core cross-section and the depressed cladding has a depressed cladding cross-section that is larger than the core cross-section. The drawing ratio is determined based on the parameters of the preform measured along the axis of the preform and based on a desired minimum fundamental mode cutoff wavelength ?m. The final core cross-section defines a fundamental mode cutoff wavelength ?c such that ?c??m along the axis. Then the preform is pulled by the thus-determined drawing ratio to produce the short-pass fiber. In some embodiments a test section of the fiber is pulled first before pulling the short pass fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory L. Keaton, Mark A. Arbore, Thomas J. Kane
  • Patent number: 6978063
    Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier module is disclosed which comprises a signal path located between a signal input and a signal output. A WDM coupler and an amplifying gain medium are disposed along the signal path. A pump laser is disposed out of the signal path in a manner that allows a pump signal from the pump laser to reflect off the WDM coupler and enter the signal path. An embodiment utilizing a second WDM coupler and a second pump laser is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Photon-X, LLC
    Inventor: Renyuan Gao
  • Patent number: 6975791
    Abstract: An improved device and method to pump fiber lasers in order to enhance performance and reliability is provided. A fiber laser is bent into a coil having a moderate curvature so as to avoid radiation losses. A cladding is partly polished to produce coupling surfaces along the length of the spring-like coil. Radiation emitters are imaged with one or more micro lenses that are attached to the coupling surface. In a preferred embodiment, banks of high power laser diodes are utilized as pump sources. Coupling surfaces are preferably created along the length of the fiber at intervals where pump radiation from the previous pump edge has been absorbed. Although the system may be used to pump single mode fibers, the preferred application is to pump multimode fibers, having greater core diameters and higher luminescent capacity, wherein only a single cladding can be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: CeramOptec Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Wolfgang Neuberger
  • Patent number: 6975448
    Abstract: An automatic gain controller for controlling gain values of an optical fiber amplifier. The automatic gain controller includes a first opto-electric conversion unit for converting a portion of optical signals that are input into the optical fiber amplifier into electrical signals to output the converted electrical signals. A second opto-electric conversion unit converts a portion of output optical signals output from the optical fiber amplifier into electrical signals and then outputs the converted electrical signals. A transient suppressing unit generates pulse typed waveforms when a change in channel number is generated during monitoring outputs of the first opto-electric conversion unit, and a comparing unit compares the sum of output signals of the transient suppressing unit and output signals of the first opto-electric conversion unit with output signals of the second opto-electric conversion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics
    Inventors: Se-Hong Park, Sang-Ho Kim, Kwan-Woong Song, Seong-Taek Hwang, Tae-Sung Park
  • Patent number: 6973254
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical fiber including a core doped with first metal ions; and a cladding formed so as to surround the core and doped with second metal ions selected so that the absorption coefficient in a transition wavelength band of first transition of the first metal ions is greater than the absorption coefficient in a transition wavelength band of second transition of the first metal ions. The amplification of light due to the first transition is suppressed, and at least the amplification or oscillation of light due to the second transition is effected. Also disclosed are an optical amplification/oscillation device, a laser light generating device, and a laser display unit, and a color laser display unit each employing the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Kubota, Hisashi Masuda
  • Patent number: 6970631
    Abstract: A fiber amplifier in which the active core is surrounded by a cladding and coupling of radiation between a core mode and cladding modes is suppressed to minimize cladding mode losses in a short wavelength range. An index profile is established in the active core and in the cladding such that the core exhibits a loss above a cutoff wavelength ?c and positive gains in the short wavelength range below the cutoff wavelength ?c. Suppression of cladding mode losses is achieved by an arrangement for suppressing the coupling of radiation in the short wavelength range between a core mode supported the active core and a cladding mode supported by the cladding. The arrangement for suppressing can include an absorbing material or a scattering material distributed in the cladding. The arrangement for suppressing can include a non-phase-matched length section of the fiber amplifier in which the core mode and the cladding modes are not phase matched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Lightwave Electronics
    Inventor: Mark A. Arbore
  • Patent number: 6965469
    Abstract: A fiber amplifier includes at least one longitudinally extending non-doped inner core capable of transmitting signals. At least partially surrounding the inner core and extending at least partially therealong, the fiber amplifier also includes at least one gain region capable of amplifying signals propagating therethrough. The fiber amplifier also includes an outer core surrounding the gain region and the inner core and extending longitudinally therealong. The outer core is capable of transmitting pump energy such that the pump energy at least partially amplifies signals propagating through the inner core according to a nonlinear amplification process, such as a Raman or a Brillouin amplification process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Petras V. Avizonis, James A. Davis, David Whelan
  • Patent number: 6963681
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for automatic dynamic gain control in optical Raman amplifiers and an optical Raman amplifier adapted for the same. The present invention has found that in multiple pump Raman amplifiers a substantially linear relationship exists between total amplified signal power and pump power for each of different wavelength pumps, in order to maintain an original gain profile and gain levels for an optical link with a fully loaded channel configuration, in response to dropped channels. In accordance with the method, and an amplifier programmed to practice the method, a set of pump power values and signal level values required to maintain the characterized gain profile and gain levels for a plurality of channel loading configurations are pre-established for the each pump wavelength. A linear function from each set of pre-established values is derived for each pump wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: Erji Mao, Stuart MacCormack, Greg Roth, Steven Sanders
  • Patent number: 6961507
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical fiber including a core doped with first metal ions; and a cladding formed so as to surround the core and doped with second metal ions selected so that the absorption coefficient in a transition wavelength band of first transition of the first metal ions is greater than the absorption coefficient in a transition wavelength band of second transition of the first metal ions. The amplification of light due to the first transition is suppressed, and at least the amplification or oscillation of light due to the second transition is effected. Also disclosed are an optical amplification/oscillation device, a laser light generating device, and a laser display unit, and a color laser display unit each employing the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Kubota, Hisashi Masuda
  • Patent number: 6952511
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a gain equalizer having a preferable equalization characteristic and a structure that can be easily fabricated. The gain equalizer flattens a spectrum of light in a predetermined wavelength range inputted through an input terminal and outputs the light from an output terminal, and comprises a coarse-tunable equalizing section and a fine-tunable equalizing section connected in series. The coarse-tunable equalizing section coarsely flattens the spectrum of the light in the predetermined wavelength range, and includes a plurality of filters each having a large loss and a small reflectance as compared with the fine-tunable equalizing section. The fine-tunable equalizing section flattens the spectrum of the light in a wavelength range where the coarse-tunable equalizing section can not flatten at a predetermined value or less among the predetermined wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Shigehara, Masaki Ohmura
  • Patent number: 6950586
    Abstract: Fibers, including fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers, and systems containing such fibers are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: OCG Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Hong Po
  • Patent number: 6939060
    Abstract: A vicinity of the fusion spliced portion of optical fibers is mounted on a heating board, after the dissimilar optical fibers having the different mode field diameters are fusion spliced. The vicinity of the fusion spliced portion of the optical fibers is then heated by a heat source via the heating board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Tamura, Eiichiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 6937388
    Abstract: Disclosed is an L-band optical amplifier for amplifying optical signals with the wavelength band of the L-band. The L-band optical amplifier comprises an optical-amplifying section for emitting spontaneous emission and for amplifying the optical signals by pumping of the spontaneous emission, a mirror for reflecting the optical signals amplified by the optical-amplifying section to re-enter back to the optical-amplifying section, and a feedback loop connected with both terminals of the optical-amplifying section for causing spontaneous emission emitted from the optical-amplifying section to be fed back to the optical-amplifying section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwan-Woong Song, Seong-Taek Hwang, Yun-Je Oh
  • Patent number: 6934477
    Abstract: Erbium doped fiber amplifiers (ERDAs) optically couple optical signals between free-space and fiber optic links of a terrestrial optical communication network. The optical gain of transmitting and receiving ERDAs is controlled to achieve good optical signal communication. Control occurs in response to signals received at the transmitting and receiving ends of the links. Control, status and management information may be communicated optically between link head stations. The physical position of transceivers at opposite ends of the link optical signal paths is also controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: LightPointe Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Heinz Willebrand
  • Patent number: 6934454
    Abstract: An optical fiber transmission line including first, second and third optical fibers connected together so that light travels through the transmission line from the first optical fiber, then through the second optical fiber and then through the third optical fiber. The first, second and third optical fibers have first, second and third characteristic values, respectively. The second characteristic value is larger than the first characteristic value and the third characteristic value. The characteristic value of a respective optical fiber being a nonlinear refractive index of the optical fiber divided by an effective cross section of the optical fiber. Pump light is supplied to the transmission line so that Raman amplification occurs in the transmission line as an optical signal travels through the transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Takafumi Terahara, Rainer Hainberger, Takeshi Hoshida
  • Patent number: 6922281
    Abstract: An EDFA with integrated input and output modules is presented. The integrated input module has a packaged pump laser diode mounted to the metal EDFA package to provide a heat sink for the pump laser diode which sends the pump laser light over a optical fiber section connected to the amplifying erbium-doped optical fiber section. The fiber section is formed from an optical fiber which better matches the transmission modes in the erbium-doped optical fiber section and has an end subsection of the single mode fiber for a larger numerical aperture. Collimating lenses also increase the coupling efficiency of the laser diode to the erbium-doped fiber section. The integrated output module has a photodiode with a tap filter to monitor the output power of the EDFA, an optical isolator to prevent interference in the erbium-doped optical fiber section. With a twin optical isolator, the integrated input and output modules can be arranged in different ways and combinations with the erbium-doped optical fiber section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Lightwaves 2020, Inc.
    Inventors: Jing-Jong Pan, Xiangdong Qiu, Kejian Guan, Mingjie Zhang
  • Patent number: 6922503
    Abstract: An optical module comprises a multiplexer for combining a signal and a pump radiation and having an output coupled to an optical fiber and a signal over the optical fiber with the pump lightwave that has a frequency three times of that of the signal and phase index equal to that of the signal. Phase matching between the pump and signal is realized for example by employing a microstructured optical fiber as the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takemi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 6922514
    Abstract: An optical transmission fiber has a refractive index profile with an area of increased index of refraction at the inner core of the fiber, an annular region positioned radially outward from the inner core with an index of refraction exceeding the index of the inner core, and at least a low dopant content region in a cross-sectional region between the inner core and the annular region. A low loss cladding layer surrounds the core region. The optical transmission fiber with this segmented core profile provides a high effective area, low non-linearity coefficient, nonzero dispersion, and relatively flat dispersion slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Pirelli & C. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Bartolomeo Italo Tirloni, Francesco Gabriele Sartori, Davide Sarchi, Giacomo Stefano Roba
  • Patent number: 6920253
    Abstract: A modulator having a waveguide and a microdisk resonator is disclosed. The waveguide has an input port for receiving a light signal of wavelength ? and an output port for transmitting modulated light. The microdisk resonator has a resonance at ? and is coupled to the waveguide between the input and output ports such that at least 10 percent of the light traveling in the waveguide is coupled to the microdisk resonator. The microdisk resonator further includes a material having a first state and a second state, the material absorbing more of the light in the first state than in the second state. The first and second states are selectable by a signal that is applied to the microdisk resonator. In one embodiment, the waveguide and the microdisk resonator occupy different portions of a sheet of material having the various layers used to construct the resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc
    Inventors: Michael R. Tan, Scott W. Corzine, Mihail Sigalas, Chaokun Lin, Kostadin Djordjev
  • Patent number: 6917464
    Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-lambda source for outputting an optical signal having a plurality of channels, the multi-lambda source comprising an optical fiber amplifier, having a back and front end, for amplifying an optical signal received from the back end and outputting ASE light to the back end, a reflector coupled to the back end of the optical fiber amplifier for reflecting a received optical signal, and a comb filter arranged between the optical fiber amplifier and the reflector and having a pass band of wavelengths for filtering the ASE light and generating the optical signal of the channels according to a transmission spectrum of the filtered ASE light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
    Inventors: Hong-Seok Shin, Seong-Taek Hwang, Yun-Je Oh
  • Patent number: 6917731
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention an amplification module comprises a housing containing a plurality of optical ports. This housing: (i) at least partially encloses at least one amplification medium, (ii) provides at least one position for at least one optical filter, and (iii) includes a first optical port configured to provide both signal and pump light to the amplification module. According to an embodiment of the present invention the amplification module does not include a WDM for multiplexing pump light and signal light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin W Bennett, Jeffery A DeMeritt, Paul A Jakobson, Kenneth R Lane, Richard G Smart, Jason S Watts, Peter G Wigley
  • Patent number: 6915042
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of optical fiber telecommunications. More specifically, the subject of the invention is a slanted Bragg grating optical fiber and a process for manufacturing such a fiber. The slanted Bragg grating optical fiber of longitudinal axis Z has slanted Bragg gratings photowritten in said fiber and having refractive index modulations along said axis Z, inclined at a same writing angle with respect to a normal plane to said axis Z and defining planes called writing planes forming the same angle than the writing angle with said normal plane, each writing plane forming with others writing planes specific angles called angles of rotation about said axis Z.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: Hedi Labidi, Carlos De Barros, Isabelle Riant
  • Patent number: 6909538
    Abstract: A fiber amplifier in a depressed cladding or W-profile fiber. The fiber has a core doped with the active material and defined by a core cross-section and a refractive index no. A depressed cladding of index n1 surrounds the core and a secondary cladding of index n2 surrounds the depressed cladding. The fiber amplifier is pumped to a level of high relative inversion, such that the active material exhibits positive gains in a short wavelength band and high gains in a long wavelength band. The core cross-section, the depressed cladding cross-section and the refractive indices no, n1, and n2 are selected to obtain a roll-off loss curve about a cutoff wavelength ?c. The roll-off loss curve yields losses at least comparable to the high gains in the long wavelength band and losses substantially smaller than the positive gains in the short wavelength band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Lightwave Electronics
    Inventors: Mark A. Arbore, Gregory L. Keaton
  • Patent number: 6907157
    Abstract: In the method according to the present invention, an optical fiber transmission line for transmitting signal light is first provided. A Raman repeater 16 having a pumping source for supplying pump light propagating in a direction opposite to the direction of propagation of the signal light to the optical fiber transmission line is provided in the middle of the optical fiber transmission line. A terminal device having a similar pumping source is provided at one end of the optical fiber transmission line. A control signal is transmitted to the Raman repeater 16 by the pump light from the terminal device. The Raman repeater is controlled by the control signal transmitted. According to this method, the Raman repeater is controlled by the pump light from the terminal device provided at the receiving end, thereby eliminating a problem arising in the case of control by signal light as in the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shin-ichirou Harasawa
  • Patent number: 6903865
    Abstract: An optical communication system such as a Wavelength-Division-Multiplexed (WDM) or Dense Wavelength-Division-Multiplexed (DWDM) communication system using Erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) for amplifying signals in the S-band. The fiber amplifier has a core doped with Erbium and defined by a core cross-section and a refractive index n0. The fiber amplifier has a depressed cladding surrounding the core and a secondary cladding surrounding the depressed cladding. The depressed cladding has a depressed cladding cross-section and a refractive index n1, and the secondary cladding has a secondary cladding cross-section and a refractive index n2. The fiber amplifier has a pump source for pumping the Erbium to a level of high relative inversion D such that the Erbium exhibits positive gains in the S-band and high gains in a long wavelength band longer than the S-band, i.e., in the C- and L-Bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Lightwave Electronics
    Inventor: Mark A. Arbore
  • Patent number: 6903866
    Abstract: By optimizing the refractive index profile, the absorption coefficient of a rare earth element doped optical fiber can be enlarged and nonlinear effect can be suppressed. Thus, according to the present invention, the optical fiber, which is suitable for wide band optical amplification, can be realized. Moreover, in the present invention, the optical fiber of W-shape profile comprising a core, the first cladding having a refractive index smaller than that of said core surrounding said core, and the second cladding having a refractive index smaller than that of said core and larger than that of said first cladding surrounding said first cladding is prepared and are suitable for the wide band optical amplification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiichi Aiso
  • Patent number: 6903868
    Abstract: The inventive fiber amplifier comprises: (a) a first Er-doped fiber provided with a first light-pumping source via a first pump combiner to amplify input optical signals; (b) a second Er-doped fiber provided with a second light-pumping source via a second pump combiner to amplify input L-band optical signals; (c) a C/L splitter provided in the downstream of the first Er-doped fiber for splitting the optical signals into C- and L-bands, respectively, during passage through the C/L splitter; (d) a reflector for transmitting the L-band optical signals split in the C/L splitter toward the second Er-doped fiber and reflecting the transmitted L-band optical signals to flow back toward the second Er-doped fiber; (e) a circulator for introducing the L-band optical signals which are amplified after backward flow from the reflector toward another direction and preventing the backward flow of ASE generated during amplification toward the first Er-doped fiber; and, (f) a C/L combiner for combining the C-band optical sign
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Taek Hwang, Kwan-Woong Song
  • Patent number: 6901174
    Abstract: The present invention relating to a device and method for multiplication of repetition frequency in optical pulse trains. The device and the method multiply repetition frequency of optical pulse train generated with ML-FRL with high stability. The device comprises an optical fiber ring composed of optical fibers, an optical amplifier and a modulator for optically modulating, and an electric signal generator generating high frequency signals. The device generates an optical pulse train of repeating frequency of fm, when applying electric signals of frequency of fm to the modulator. In addition to the construction, the stabilized optical pulse generator comprises a filter passing through frequencies of integer multiple of the applied modulation frequency fm, and a composite cavity composed of a plurality of optical fibers of which lengths are different each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
    Inventor: Kamal Kant Gupta
  • Patent number: 6900885
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a white light source. This white light source comprises a plurality of amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections each comprising at least an active fiber. At least two of the amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections are connected together in series. The plurality of amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections generate amplified spontaneous emission lights having at least partially overlapping wavelength ranges. Furthermore, a white light source of the present invention includes amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections each comprising at least an active fiber. At least one of the amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections comprises a mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroji Masuda, Hirotaka Ono, Makoto Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6898366
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical fiber including a core doped with first metal ions; and a cladding formed so as to surround the core and doped with second metal ions selected so that the absorption coefficient in a transition wavelength band of first transition of the first metal ions is greater than the absorption coefficient in a transition wavelength band of second transition of the first metal ions. The amplification of light due to the first transition is suppressed, and at least the amplification or oscillation of light due to the second transition is effected. Also disclosed are an optical amplification/oscillation device, a laser light generating device, and a laser display unit, and a color laser display unit each employing the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Kubota, Hisashi Masuda
  • Patent number: 6897434
    Abstract: A source and/or method of generating quantum-correlated and/or entangled photon pairs using parametric fluorescence in a fiber Sagnac loop. The photon pairs are generated in the 1550 nm fiber-optic communication band and detected by a detection system including InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes operating in a gated Geiger mode. A generation rate>103 pairs/s is observed, a rate limited only by available detection electronics. The nonclassical nature of the photon correlations in the pairs is demonstrated. This source, given its spectral properties and robustness, is well suited for use in fiber-optic quantum communication and cryptography networks. The detection system also provides high rate of photon counting with negligible after pulsing and associated high quantum efficiency and also low dark count rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Prem Kumar, Marco Florentino, Paul L. Voss, Jay E. Sharping
  • Patent number: 6891981
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for controlling optical signal wavelength spacing by providing for simultaneous upconversion of a plurality of electrical signal on subcarrier frequencies of an optical carrier frequency with or without modulation of an electrical data signal onto the optical carrier frequency. The optical carrier lightwave is split into a plurality of split lightwaves upon which one or more electrical frequencies carrying information can be upconverted onto optical subcarriers of the lightwave carrier frequency. The relative spacings of the optical subcarrier lightwaves will thus be unaffected by variation in the carrier frequency. The optical subcarrier lightwaves can then be recombined to form the optical data signal carrying the plurality of information carried by the electrical frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Corvis Corporation
    Inventors: Alistair J. Price, Michael C. Antone
  • Patent number: 6879609
    Abstract: A thulium doped silicate glass composition which contains SiO2, Al2O3, and La2O3 emits visible and UV light when excited by infrared light. The glass composition may also contain GeO2 and Er2O3. When excited by infrared light of about 1060 nm, the glass emits visible light at fluorescent transitions of the Tm3+ ions with major broad features at 365, 455, 472, 651, and 791 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Craig R. Schardt, Mark T. Anderson, James R. Onstott, Lowell C. Frank
  • Patent number: 6879436
    Abstract: In a light attenuator or its attenuating method, a nonlinear optical material and an aperture section are placed respectively on a same optical axis, between a receiving optical finder and a sending optical fiber. The nonlinear optical material receives and refracts an input light outputted from the receiving optical fiber. The aperture section has an aperture, receives the light having passed through the nonlinear optical material, and outputs constant output light to the sending optical fiber by only allowing only a part of the light to be outputted from the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Showa Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Oto, Yuuichi Morishita, Haruhito Noro
  • Patent number: 6879435
    Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier has an anisotropic numerical aperture to optimally couple pump energy into the pump core of a dual-clad fiber. The optical fiber consists of a dual-clad fiber having a longitudinally extending inner core, an outer core surrounding the inner core, and a cladding layer at least partially surrounding the outer core. The outer core is capable of transmitting pump energy to thereby amplify signals propagating through the inner core. Further, the outer core is capable of accepting pump energy within a first range of acceptance angles in a first direction and within a second range of acceptance angles in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The outer core and the cladding layer are structured such that a numerical aperture of the fiber amplifier in the first direction is different than the numerical aperture of the fiber amplifier in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Robert R. Rice
  • Patent number: 6876490
    Abstract: A Thulium-doped silica fiber normally has its strongest gain at 1.9 microns and thus is not suitable for communication use. By engineering a W-profile or depressed cladding fiber with an appropriate index profile having a fundamental mode cut-off between 1.9 microns and the shorter wavelength of desired operation, an optical amplifier based on the W-profile Thulium-doped silica fiber operates at wavelengths shorter than conventional amplifiers, just above what is currently called the Erbium L-band. In a preferred embodiment, the cut-off wavelength is at or near 1.7 ?m, eliminating longer wavelengths from the fiber. Amplifiers engineered according to the principles and techniques of the present invention can operate in the wavelength range between about 1.6 to 1.8 microns, which is particularly useful for telecommunications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: LightWave Electronics
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kane, Mark A. Arbore, Gregory L. Keaton
  • Patent number: 6867910
    Abstract: Provided is a wideband ASE light source, which has a high output and a little ripples in a wide band and the output of which is stable. In a wideband ASE light source constructed of a pumping light source that generates a pumping light, an erbium-doped optical fiber that generates an ASE light by incident pumping light, a reflector that is arranged at one terminal portion of the erbium-doped optical fiber and reflects the ASE light radiated from the erbium-doped optical fiber, an optical multiplexer that is arranged between a terminal portion of the erbium-doped optical fiber and the pumping light and optically multiplexes and demultiplexes the pumping light with or from the ASE light and an optical isolator that is arranged between the third terminal portion of the optical multiplexer and an output terminal and removes a return light to the erbium-doped optical fiber, the optical multiplexer has a maximum value of isolation in a wavelength band of 1570 nm to 1600 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Takei, Hiromi Ajima, Yukiko Furukata
  • Patent number: 6868237
    Abstract: Optical signals are received from a free-space link by directing received light onto a plurality of microlenses and then directing light received through each of the microlenses into a respective single mode optical fiber (SMF). Light beams from the SMFs are combined into a single light beam in one SMF. The single light beam is amplified with a multi-wavelength fiber amplifier and attenuated with a variable optical attenuator. The power gain of the multi-wavelength fiber amplifier and the attenuation of the variable optical attenuator are controlled. The single light beam is directed into a fiber optic communication system that is optically coupled to the variable optical attenuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: LightPointe Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Heinz Willebrand, Gerald R. Clark
  • Patent number: 6867912
    Abstract: An erbium-doped fiber amplifier and a wavelength division multiplexing optical transmission system equipped with the same are disclosed. The wavelength division multiplexing optical transmission system includes a transmission stage having a first C/L fiber amplifier for amplifying combined C and L-band optical signals, an optical repeater having at least one second C/L fiber amplifier for amplifying the optical signals transmitted from a single mode fiber of a predetermined length, and a dispersion compensating fiber of a predetermined length for compensating dispersions of the amplified optical signals. The system also includes a reception stage having a third C/L fiber amplifier for amplifying the optical signals transmitted from a single mode fiber of a predetermined length, and a receiver for separating the amplified optical signals from the third C/L fiber amplifier into C-band optical signals and L-band optical signals band by band and de-multiplexing the separated amplified optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Taek Hwang, Young-Hoon Joo
  • Patent number: 6865019
    Abstract: The invention relates to an amplification optical fiber that is suitable for amplification of signals in the L-band, that has the effect of suppressing normal four-wave mixing (FWM) occurring between signals, and that has the structure for effectively suppressing occurrence of non-degenerative FWM as well, and a fiber optic amplifier including the same. A fiber optic amplifier according to the present invention incorporates an amplification optical fiber having a core region doped with a rare earth element, a zero-dispersion wavelength of not more than a wavelength of pumping light, and an effective cutoff wavelength of 1.1 ?m or more but not more than the wavelength of the pumping light. Not only the normal FWM but also the non-degenerative FWM is effectively suppressed by application of the amplification optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Soichi Endo, Kazuhiro Okamoto, Masahiro Takagi, Motoki Kakui
  • Patent number: 6865018
    Abstract: A multistage optical amplifier includes a fiber amplifier stage having an active optical fiber for imparting gain to an optical signal propagating therethrough and a coupler supplying pump energy to the optical fiber. A planar waveguide amplifier stage is optically coupled to the fiber amplifier stage. The waveguide amplifier including a substrate, an active planar waveguide formed on the substrate for imparting gain to an optical signal propagating therethrough, and at least one waveguide coupler formed on the substrate for coupling pump power to the active planar waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Inplane Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergey Frolov, Joseph Shmulovich, Allan James Bruce, Tek-Ming Shen
  • Patent number: 6850678
    Abstract: An optical fiber includes a core for guiding light of a specified range of wavelengths therethrough, each wavelength in the specified range of wavelengths traveling through the core at a particular group velocity and the light potentially producing a nonlinear optical effect. The optical fiber also includes a cladding formed around the core for substantially containing the light within the core. The optical fiber further includes a predetermined amount of at least one dopant uniformly dispersed throughout the core such that no two distinct wavelengths in the specified range of wavelengths travel through the core at the same, particular group velocity, thereby causing the nonlinear optical effect to be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Teracomm Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Puzey