Particular Coupling Function Patents (Class 385/27)
  • Publication number: 20130195402
    Abstract: A collimator system comprises a micro lens array and a fiber array. The fiber array has a substrate with a plurality of holes for holding a plurality of optical fibers. The fibers are glued into the holes. Before gluing, each of the fibers is positioned against the same side of a corresponding hole resulting in all fibers being located substantially equally with respect to the holes. The lens array is mounted with an offset to the fiber array resulting in alignment of the fibers and the lenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SCHLEIFRING UND APPARATEBAU GMBH
    Inventor: Gregor Popp
  • Publication number: 20130195403
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for in-line cladding-light dissipation including forming a light-scattering surface on the optical fiber such that the light-scattering surface scatters cladding light away from the optical fiber. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes an optical fiber having a core and a first cladding layer that surrounds the core, wherein a first portion of the optical fiber has a light-scattering exterior surface. Some embodiments further include a transparent enclosure, wherein the transparent enclosure includes an opening that extends from a first end of the transparent enclosure to a second end of the transparent enclosure, and wherein at least the first portion of the optical fiber is located within the opening of the transparent enclosure. Some embodiments include a light-absorbing housing that surrounds the optical fiber and the transparent enclosure and is configured to absorb the light scattered away from the optical fiber by the light-scattering exterior surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8498503
    Abstract: An integrated optical coupler including in the medium separating a first integrated waveguide from a second substantially parallel integrated waveguide, a succession of strips parallel to one another and orthogonal to the general direction of the waveguides, said strips being made of a material having an absorption preventing the propagation of an electromagnetic wave across its volume, and having: a length H equal to k?/2nmedium, where k is an integer, ? is the central wavelength used, and nmedium is the optical index of the medium between the waveguides; a period P smaller than ?/2nmedium; and ends at a distance shorter than ?/10 from the waveguides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Alexandre Mary, Salim Boutami, Roch Espiau De Lamaestre, Jérôme Le Perchec
  • Patent number: 8494360
    Abstract: A system may include a first measurement device configured to be coupled to a first node in an optical path being measured. The first measurement device may be configured to generate a signal at an initiating device; identify an unused channel in an optical path, wherein the optical path includes at least two spans; and transmit the signal on the unused channel. A second test device may be configured to be coupled to a last node in the optical path being measured. The second measurement device may be configured to: receive the signal at a destination device; compensate the signal for chromatic dispersion (CD) and/or polarization mode dispersion (PMD) effects; and determine CD and/or PMD measurements associated with the optical path being measured based on the compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: David Zhi Chen
  • Patent number: 8494317
    Abstract: The method for filtering an optical signal comprising a plurality of channels lying on a grid of optical frequencies equally spaced by a frequency spacing and occupying an optical bandwidth, comprises: a) operating an optical filter comprising a plurality of resonators, wherein a first resonator of the plurality is optically coupled to the optical signal and the remaining resonators are optically coupled in series to the first resonator, so that a respective resonance of each one of the plurality of resonators falls within a first frequency band having bandwidth less than or equal to 15 GHz; b) operating the optical filter so as to obtain a separation between said respective resonance of at least one resonator with respect to said respective resonance of at least another different resonator, the separation being greater than or equal to 25 GHz; c) operating the optical filter so that said respective resonance of each one of the plurality of resonators falls within a second frequency band, different from the f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Bolla, Paola Galli, Silvia Ghidini, Marco Romagnoli, Luciano Socci
  • Patent number: 8494318
    Abstract: A method of filtering an optical signal includes operating an optical filter having resonators, each having a respective free spectral range and a respective resonance falling within a first frequency band, first tuning at least one resonator with respect to at least another resonator to obtain a separation between any resonance of at least one resonator falling within an optical bandwidth with respect to a resonance of at least another resonator nearest to the any resonance, second tuning all the resonators of the optical filter so as to move all respective resonances by a respective frequency interval greater than a frequency spacing, and third tuning the at least one resonator and the at least another resonator such that a further respective resonance of each one of the resonators falls within a second frequency band, different from the first frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Bolla, Paola Galli, Silvia Ghidini, Giorgio Grasso, Marco Romagnoli, Luciano Socci
  • Patent number: 8488978
    Abstract: A probe light source produces probe light having a second wavelength different from a first wavelength of signal light. To a light modulator, the probe light and signal light produced from the probe light source are supplied. The light modulator multiplexes the probe light and signal light produced from the probe light source, and supplies it to a nonlinear optical medium. Further, the light modulator modulates the probe light by an intensity change of the signal light in the nonlinear optical medium, and outputs modulated light having the second wavelength based on the data of the signal light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shigeki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8488922
    Abstract: A multi-channel dispersion compensator comprising an optical signal waveguide that forms an input end for receiving an optical signal and an output end for providing a filtered optical signal. The multi-channel dispersion compensator also includes a series of closed-loop resonators providing frequency delay to at least one channel of the optical signal. The optical signal waveguide and each closed-loop resonator form a tunable coupler having a coupling value. The coupling value for each tunable coupler is selected to minimize constant dispersion and linear slope dispersion of the optical signal. Methods of fabrication and use are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Brent E. Little, Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 8478090
    Abstract: A 90-degree optical hybrid interferometer having an optical path length difference to a pair of the optical signal waveguide arm and the local oscillator optical waveguide arm at either the I phase side or the Q phase side at the TE optical signal side and the TM optical signal side respectively thus giving a phase delay to output interference signals of the I phase side and the Q phase side. The 90-degree optical hybrid interferometer has eight output ports arranged in order of Ip, In, Qp, and Qn at both the TE side and the TM side respectively, by setting the output phase difference which is the sum of the phase difference according to the optical path length difference and phase conversion characteristics of each optical coupler at the I phase side and the Q phase side and the phase delay, as +?/2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Shinya Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8478091
    Abstract: A single-stage 1×5 grating-assisted wavelength division multiplexer is provided. A grating-assisted asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer, a plurality of grating-assisted cross-state directional couplers and a plurality of novel side-band eliminators are combined to form the multiplexer. Only general gratings are required, not Bragg grating, for 5-channel wavelength division multiplexing in a single stage. A nearly ideal square-like band-pass filtering passband is obtained. The present disclosure can be used as a core device in IC-to-IC optical interconnects for multiplexing and demultiplexing of an optical transceiver. The present disclosure has a small size and good performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: National Central University
    Inventors: Hung-Chih Lu, Jen-Inn Chyi
  • Patent number: 8478088
    Abstract: The object is to provide an optical switch capable of efficient operation and a manufacturing method thereof. The optical switch according to the present invention is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical switch composed of a line defect waveguide of a photonic crystal. Further, the optical switch according to the present invention includes two directional couplers 20 and 23, and two paths of waveguides 30 and 32 therebetween. Furthermore, between the two paths, group velocity of guided light differs in the first path waveguide 20 and the second path waveguide 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masatoshi Tokushima
  • Publication number: 20130163922
    Abstract: A light-guiding cover structure includes a top cover unit and a light-guiding unit. The top cover unit has a plurality of receiving spaces formed therein. The light-guiding unit includes a plurality of light-guiding groups, wherein each light-guiding group includes a plurality of optical fiber cables received in the corresponding receiving space, and each optical fiber cable has two opposite ends exposed from the bottom surface of the top cover unit and respectively facing at least one light-emitting device and at least one light-sensing device that have been disposed under the top cover unit. Therefore, the optical fiber cables received in the corresponding receiving space, thus when the light-guiding cover structure is applied to the LED package chip classification system, the aspect of the LED package chip classification system can be enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: YOUNGTEK ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: BILY WANG, KUEI-PAO CHEN, HSIN-CHENG CHEN, CHENG-CHIN CHIU
  • Publication number: 20130148924
    Abstract: A light guide device includes a light guide plate, a diffusion layer, and a brightening layer. The light guide plate includes a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and diffusion pots positioned on the first surface. The diffusion layer is adhered to the second surface of the light guide plate, and includes transparent adhesive and diffusion particles scattered in the transparent adhesive. The brightening layer is adhered to the diffusion layer, and includes a micro structure formed on a surface of the brightening layer facing away from the diffusion layer. The micro structure includes a number of cutouts. A manufacturing method for the light guide device is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: TAI-CHERNG YU, DA-WEI LIN
  • Publication number: 20130148925
    Abstract: An optical delivery waveguide for a material laser processing system includes a small lens at an output end of the delivery waveguide, transforming laser beam divergence inside the waveguide into a spot size after the lens. By varying the input convergence angle and/or launch angle of the laser beam launched into the waveguide, the output spot size can be continuously varied, thus enabling a continuous and real-time laser spot size adjustment on the workpiece, without having to replace the delivery waveguide or a process head. A divergence of the laser beam can also be adjusted dynamically and in concert with the spot size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Martin H. Muendel, Dahv Kliner
  • Patent number: 8463093
    Abstract: An optical device includes a light-transmitting medium positioned on a base. The light-transmitting medium at least partially defines a free propagation region through which light signals travel. A reflective grating includes stepped reflecting surfaces positioned such that light signals that travel through the free propagation region are received by the reflecting surfaces. The reflecting surfaces are configured to reflect the light signal back into the free propagation region such that the light signals associated with different wavelengths separate as the light signals travel through the free propagation region. At least a portion of the reflecting surfaces each includes an overlapping region. Additionally, at least a portion of the reflecting surfaces each includes an overlapped region and un un-overlapped region. The reflecting grating is configured such that the light signals travel toward the overlapped regions and the un-overlapped regions before being reflected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Kotura, Inc.
    Inventors: Dazeng Feng, Wei Qian, Mehdi Asghari
  • Patent number: 8463088
    Abstract: The multi-channel optical device includes multiple laser cavities that each reflects a different light channel back and forth between reflective components. One of the reflective components is common to all of the laser cavities in that the common reflective component receives the channels from each of the laser cavities and reflects the received channels. The laser cavities also share a multiplexer that receives the channels reflected by the common reflective device and demultiplexes the channels into demultiplexed channels. A portion of the reflective components are partial return devices that each receives one of the demultiplexed channels. Each of the partial return devices transmits a portion of the demultiplexed channel received by that partial return device. The transmitted portion of the demultiplexed channel exits the laser cavity. Additionally, each of the partial return devices reflects a portion of the demultiplexed channel receive by that partial return device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Kotura, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehdi Asghari, Dazeng Feng
  • Publication number: 20130142480
    Abstract: In various embodiments, an optical fiber module including an optical fiber having a first end, a second end, and a twisted portion between the first and second ends to enable the optical fiber to provide two orthogonal transverse bending degrees of freedom. The twisted portion induces an optical distortion. The module further includes a distortion compensation arrangement that is configured to at least partially compensate for the optical distortion and a housing that is configured to house at least a portion of the optical fiber including the twisted portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Ray E. MCVEY, David A. ROCKWELL
  • Patent number: 8457455
    Abstract: A light guide includes a core and a clad made of a material having an index of refraction different from an index of refraction of the core and covering the core, in which at least one of a light incident surface or a light exit surface of the core is arranged while shifted in parallel without changing respective inclined angles so that the inclined surface is divided into a plurality of inclined surfaces parallel in a longitudinal direction (X direction) of the rectangular shape in the orthogonal projection and the plurality of inclined surfaces closer to the light emitting portion are positioned in a direction (Z direction) of moving away from the end face to be in a shape extending in the direction (Z direction) of moving away from the end face in a stepwise manner as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Yukari Terakawa, Hayami Hosokawa
  • Publication number: 20130136395
    Abstract: An optical fiber transmitting system including a first Optical/Electrical (O/E) module, a first interface, a second interface, a fiber cable and a second Optical/Electrical (O/E) module is provided. The first O/E module includes a laser diode (LD) configured to emit laser optical signals. The fiber cable includes two pieces of optical fiber and a third piece of optical fiber for transmitting the laser optical signals to the second O/E module via the first interface and the second interface. The second O/E module includes a photo-detector (PD) configured to convert the laser optical signals into electronic signals to supply power energy to a peripheral device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: KAI-WEN WU
  • Patent number: 8452144
    Abstract: A light emitter according to one embodiment has a fiber shape. And it includes a core portion containing a light emitting material, the material absorbing excitation light and emitting light having a wavelength longer than a wavelength of the excitation light. And also it includes a clad portion provided outside the core portion, the clad portion having a first region and second regions, the second regions being periodically formed in the first region, the second regions having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of a first region, the refractive index of the first region being equal to or higher than a refractive index of the core portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shinji Saito, Yasushi Hattori, Rei Hashimoto, Shinya Nunoue
  • Publication number: 20130129279
    Abstract: An apparatus for coupling an optical fiber embedded within a member to a waveguide is disclosed. The embedded optical fiber has a core and a cladding surrounding the core. A block includes an engagement surface for positioning adjacent the member to facilitate removal of a portion of the cladding surrounding the core of the embedded optical fiber, a monitoring region adjacent which a portion of a waveguide is positioned, and a waveguide having a first section positioned at the monitoring region and a second section configured to be connected to an optical measuring element for measuring a transmission through passing through the waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Malcolm H. Hodge
  • Patent number: 8442373
    Abstract: Frequency standards based on mode-locked fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers and fiber-based ultra-broad bandwidth light sources, and applications of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: IMRA America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ingmar Hartl, Martin E. Fermann
  • Patent number: 8442363
    Abstract: An apparatus consisting of stacked slab waveguides whose outputs are vertically staggered is disclosed. At the input to the stacked waveguides, the entrances to each slab lie in approximately the same vertical plane. A spot which is imaged onto the input will be transformed approximately to a set of staggered rectangles at the output, without substantial loss in brightness, which staggered rectangles can serve as a convenient input to a spectroscopic apparatus. A slit mask can be added to spatially filter the outputs so as to present the desired transverse width in the plane of the spectroscopic apparatus parallel to its dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: C8 Medisensors Inc.
    Inventors: Sascha Hallstein, Donald A. Ice
  • Patent number: 8437591
    Abstract: A system includes at least two optical fibers crossing to form a vertice. The optical fibers comprise a core, a cladding surrounding the core, and a conductive coating at least partially surrounding the length of the cladding. A portion of the core of each of the fibers is exposed proximate to the vertice. An optical microsphere whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator is positioned to cover exposed core portion of each fiber and in contact with the conductive coating of each fiber. The optical fibers may be orthogonal to each other or offset by a non-orthogonal and non-zero angle. The WGM resonator may be positioned between each of the fibers. An optical energy source may be coupled to an end of the optical fibers, with an optical detector coupled to the other end. A voltage source may be connected to the conductive coating of each of the optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ryan P. Lu, Christopher K. Huynh, Ayax D. Ramirez, Joshua M. Kvavle
  • Publication number: 20130108216
    Abstract: An optical fiber includes a first end and a second end. The optical fiber includes a core for transmitting optical signals from the first end to the second end. The core has end surfaces at the first and second ends and a cladding is positioned around a circumference of the core. Magnetic elements are provided at the end surfaces of the first end and the second end. The magnetic elements are configured to magnetically couple the core to a magnetic element at an end of a core of another optical fiber. The magnetic elements form part of a light transmission path defined by the core. The magnetic elements are optically transmissive and allow optical signals to pass therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Aleksandar Kolev ANGELOV
  • Patent number: 8433161
    Abstract: A system configured to generate an optical beam from a fiber laser is presented. The system includes a fiber gain medium having a core and a cladding, the core being configured to convert radiation from a pump beam into an output beam, the cladding having a mode propagating section and a mode stripping section bounded on a near end and a distal end by the mode propagating section, the mode stripping section of the cladding being configured to scatter excess pump radiation received from the mode propagating section in a substantially outwardly radial direction. The system also includes a rigid support member into which the fiber gain medium is placed, the rigid support member completely encompassing the mode stripping section of the cladding and joined to the fiber at the mode propagating section of the cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Textron Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Jason E. Langseth, Alexander E. Mandl
  • Patent number: 8428408
    Abstract: Regarding an optical pulse reshaping device of CPF type, there are subjects to reduce the number of stages by enhancing a compression efficiency as extremely higher for one stage of the CPF with maintaining a quality of an output pulse as high, and to be able to improve a degree of multiplexing by obtaining an output pulse having a Gaussian function for both of a time waveform therefor and a frequency waveform therefor. By using a normal dispersion HNLF in place of a zero dispersion HNLF, which configures the conventional CPF, it becomes able to overcome the above mentioned subjects. Moreover, it becomes able to reduce the number of fusion splice for a fiber, and to reduce a propagation loss of the CPF, by enhancing the compression efficiency as higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Inoue
  • Patent number: 8410462
    Abstract: An optoelectronic apparatus for transmission of an electrical signal via, galvanically isolated by means of a one-piece, translucent, plastic body, an input current circuit. At least one optical transmission element, and an output current circuit, having at least one optical receiving element, wherein the optical transmission element has a principle transmission axis and the optical receiving element a principle receiving axis, which are oriented so as to concide with a shared optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Endress + Hasuer GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Brutschin, Hartmut Damm, Klaus Ruf, Alex Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 8406585
    Abstract: An optical wiring member according to the present invention includes: a substrate on which a light-emitting device and a light-receiving device are mounted; and an optical waveguide comprising a communication optical waveguide core and an optical waveguide clad that entirely covers the communication optical waveguide core, the optical waveguide being mounted on the substrate, in which the optical waveguide is equipped with a position-aligning light guiding portion for introducing position-aligning light into the communication optical waveguide core. By using, as a target light, the position-aligning light that is introduced into the communication optical waveguide core 3 and exits from the substrate, at least either the light-emitting device or the light-receiving device can be positioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takami Ushiwata, Kouki Hirano
  • Patent number: 8406586
    Abstract: This invention provides a balanced thermal approach to the tuning of an optical time delay device in order to eliminate any long-term time response of the device performance due to thermal time constants of the device, its mount, packaging or electronic temperature control circuits. The invention provides multiple ways to improve the thermal tuning speed of the balanced thermal approach. Additionally, the invention overcomes an issue of microresonator non-uniformity by operating a large group of microresonators as a ‘super-ring’ by tuning the large group together to provide a controllable group delay with large bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Morton Photonics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul A. Morton, Jacob Khurgin
  • Patent number: 8401346
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device having an optical fiber coupled to a high pressure containment vessel and a method for making the same. The high pressure containment vessel can be an optical fiber based flow cell for a chromatography system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Jeannotte, Anthony C. Gilby, Theordore A. Dourdeville, Dennis DellaRovere, John Leason
  • Patent number: 8396337
    Abstract: By introducing magneto-optical garnets with high Faraday rotation and low optical loss in a ring resonator, a nonreciprocal phase shift is generated to split the resonance wavelengths of clockwise and counter-clockwise modes under magnetic field. There are three main applications based on this nonreciprocal effect, optical isolators, optical circulators, and tunable optical filters. The concept of the tunable filters and the design of optical isolators for TE and TM modes are described in the paper. With proper optical ring isolator configurations, optical circulators can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Herbert Kroemer, John E. Bowers, Ming-Chun Tien
  • Patent number: 8388185
    Abstract: An image display device comprises a light-emitting unit (1), an optical fiber (2) which transmits light emitted from the light-emitting unit, and a plurality of spheres (3) disposed so as to be coupled to the optical fiber (2) by evanescent coupling and having optical transparency. Each of the spheres (3) produces an optical mode in which light entering each sphere from the optical fiber (2) by the evanescent coupling is confined inside, and are so formed that predetermined resonant frequencies of the spheres for producing the optical mode are different from one another, so that an image is displayed by the light emitted from the spheres (3). This provides a simply structured image display device having a high response speed and capable of achieving power saving, a high luminance, a wide view angle, and a high contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Matsumoto, Makoto Tomita
  • Patent number: 8391655
    Abstract: An optical coupler for coupling a multimode waveguide and two or more other waveguides. In one embodiment, the optical coupler has an optical phase mask disposed between the multimode waveguide and two or more other waveguides. The optical phase mask imposes on the light passing therethrough a spatial phase pattern that causes selective mode-to-waveguide coupling between the multimode waveguide and the other waveguides. The optical coupler can be used, e.g., in transmitters and receivers of optical transverse-mode-multiplexed signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventor: Roland Ryf
  • Patent number: 8385695
    Abstract: A nonlinear fluorescence imaging system and method for generating fluorescence imaging includes a pulsed laser source for generating laser pulses at a first wavelength and an optical pulse stretcher including one or more optical pulse stretcher fibers having a first dispersion parameter at the first wavelength. The system also includes a probe for interfacing with a sample to deliver the laser pulses and extract fluorescence signals excited in the sample. One or more optical delivery fibers are included for delivering the laser pulses and collecting nonlinear fluorescence signals. The optical delivery fiber has a second dispersion parameter at the first wavelength which is opposite a polarity of the first dispersion parameter. A detector detects images based on the collected fluorescence signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Ming-Jun Li, Shenping Li
  • Patent number: 8380025
    Abstract: Liquid crystal waveguides for dynamically controlling the refraction of light. Generally, liquid crystal materials may be disposed within a waveguide in a cladding proximate or adjacent to a core layer of the waveguide. In one example, portions of the liquid crystal material can be induced to form refractive or lens shapes in the cladding that interact with a portion (e.g. evanescent) of light in the waveguide so as to permit electronic control of the refraction/bending, focusing, or defocusing of light as it travels through the waveguide. In one example, a waveguide may be formed using one or more patterned or shaped electrodes that induce formation of such refractive or lens shapes of liquid crystal material, or alternatively, an alignment layer may have one or more regions that define such refractive or lens shapes to induce formation of refractive or lens shapes of the liquid crystal material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Vescent Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael H. Anderson, Scott D. Rommel, Scott R. Davis
  • Patent number: 8369669
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for imaging using a double-clad fiber is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Brett E. Bouma, Guillermo J. Tearney, Dvir Yelin
  • Patent number: 8358882
    Abstract: A modalmetric fibre sensor comprises a multimode sensor fibre (26), a light source (14) for launching light into the multimode fibre (26) to produce a multimode speckle pattern of light at an end of the fibre (26), a single mode fibre (22) to receive light from the multimode speckle pattern and a detector (18) connected to the single mode fibre (22) to detect the received light from the multimode speckle pattern. A connector (33) connects the ends of the multimode fibre (26) and single mode fibre (22) with the end faces (31,32) of the two fibres disposed at an acute single to one another. The light from source (14) may be transmitted to the multimode fibre (26) through the single mode fibre (22) and the end of multimode fibre (26) remote from single mode fibre (22) may be mirrored to reflect light back along the multimode fibre to the single mode fibre which transmits the received light to the detector (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Future Fibre Technologies Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuvaraja Visagathilagar, Bernhard Koziol, Jim Katsifolis
  • Patent number: 8355199
    Abstract: An optical filter is disclosed, including a first optical filter adapted to receive a first optical signal including an optical carrier frequency and a plurality of interference signal components. The first filter produces an output signal at the optical carrier frequency and a reflection signal. The output signal is split into a peak detection path signal and a re-insertion path signal. An optical power detector converts the peak detection path signal into an electrical control signal and aligns the optical carrier frequency to a resonance frequency of the first filter to maximize the power of the optical carrier frequency. A second optical filter receives the reflection signal and selects at least one spectral component while rejecting other spectral components and outputs a filtered signal that carries the selected spectral component. A signal combiner receives and combines the filtered signal and the re-insertion path signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Robertson, Thomas W. Karras
  • Patent number: 8355605
    Abstract: Optical waveguides can extend alongside one another in sufficient proximity such that light couples between or among them as crosstalk. The electromagnetic field associated with light flowing in one optical waveguide can extend to an adjacent optical waveguide and induce unwanted light flow. The optical waveguide receiving the crosstalk can comprise a phase shifting capability, such as a longitudinal variation in refractive index, situated between two waveguide lengths. Crosstalk coupled onto the first waveguide length can flow through the refractive index variation, be phase shifted, and then flow onto the second waveguide length. The phase shifted crosstalk flowing on the second waveguide can meet other crosstalk that has coupled directly onto the second waveguide segment. The phase difference between the two crosstalks can suppress crosstalk via destructive interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Cirrex Systems LLC
    Inventor: Michael L. Wach
  • Patent number: 8355611
    Abstract: A waveguide stub is connected to a pillar-type square-lattice photonic crystal waveguide. Within the waveguide stub, the diameter of a defect is made larger than that of the original photonic crystal waveguide thereby reducing the group velocity of a guided light. The original waveguide and the waveguide stub are smoothly connected via a taper waveguide. Because of low group velocity of light in the waveguide stub, free spectral range (FSR) decreases thereby allowing the size of the waveguide stub to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masatoshi Tokushima
  • Patent number: 8355608
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for in-line cladding-light dissipation including forming a light-scattering surface on the optical fiber such that the light-scattering surface scatters cladding light away from the optical fiber. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes an optical fiber having a core and a first cladding layer that surrounds the core, wherein a first portion of the optical fiber has a light-scattering exterior surface. Some embodiments further include a transparent enclosure, wherein the transparent enclosure includes an opening that extends from a first end of the transparent enclosure to a second end of the transparent enclosure, and wherein at least the first portion of the optical fiber is located within the opening of the transparent enclosure. Some embodiments include a light-absorbing housing that surrounds the optical fiber and the transparent enclosure and is configured to absorb the light scattered away from the optical fiber by the light-scattering exterior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Yongdan Hu
  • Patent number: 8351744
    Abstract: Embodiments of optical collimators are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises an optical waveguide having a first end, a second end opposing the first end, a viewing surface extending at least partially between the first end and the second end, and a back surface opposing the viewing surface. The viewing surface comprises a first critical angle of internal reflection, and the back surface is configured to be reflective at the first critical angle of internal reflection. Further, a collimating end reflector comprising a faceted lens structure having a plurality of facets is disposed at the second end of the optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Adrian Travis, Timothy Large, Neil Emerton, Steven Bathiche
  • Patent number: 8346035
    Abstract: A modular radiation integrator assembly including a radiation source that emits radiation, a first integrator module including a first input port and a first output port, an adjust tube configured to partially receive the first integrator module and engage the radiation source in a manner such that the radiation emitted by the radiation source travels to and enters the first input port, and a second integrator module including a second input port and second output port, the second integrator module couplable to the first integrator module outside the adjust tube in a manner such that the radiation exits the first output port and enters the second input port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Raytheon Canada Limited
    Inventor: Blaise R. J. Robitaille
  • Patent number: 8331741
    Abstract: An acoustic sensor includes at least one photonic crystal structure and an optical fiber in optical communication with the at least one photonic crystal structure. The at least one photonic crystal structure has at least one optical resonance with a resonance frequency and a resonance lineshape, wherein at least one of the resonance frequency and the resonance lineshape is responsive to acoustic waves incident upon the acoustic sensor. The acoustic sensor further includes an optical fiber in optical communication with the at least one photonic crystal structure. The optical fiber is configured to transmit light which impinges the at least one photonic crystal structure and to receive at least a portion of the light which impinges the at least one photonic crystal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Onur Kilic, Olav Solgaard, Michel J. F. Digonnet, Gordon S. Kino
  • Patent number: 8331786
    Abstract: According to the WDM optical transmission system, for optical signals of respective wavelength in a WDM light propagated through a transmission path, a spectrum component at a center wavelength of each optical signal and a spectrum component in the vicinity of the center wavelength thereof are selectively attenuated by a spectrum correction optical filter, so that the WDM light is transmitted in a state where intensity of sideband components in the spectrum of each optical signal is relatively increased. As a result, even if spectrum width of the optical signal of each wavelength is limited when the WDM light passes through the band-limiting device on the transmission path, degradation of transmission characteristics caused by the attenuation of sideband components is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Naoki Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8331743
    Abstract: The present invention describes a microresonator that can be used as a 1:f variable coupler in a unit cell. It is described how a cascade of unit cells can be used to form a tunable, higher-order RF-filter with reconfigurable passbands. The disclosed filter structure can be utilized for the narrowband channelization of RF signals that have been modulated onto optical carriers. It is also disclosed how to utilize add/drop capabilities of the contemplated microdisks to confer connectivity and cascading in two dimensions. The present invention can conveniently provide a wavelength division multiplexing router, where an array of unit cells as provided herein can form a programmable optical switching matrix, through electronic programming of filter parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Willie W. Ng, Brian N. Limketkai, Robert R. Hayes, Daniel Yap, Peter Petre
  • Publication number: 20120308180
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided comprising a small form factor pluggable module having an optical connector configured to be coupled to a plurality of transmit and receive single mode optical fibers and an optical transmitter comprising a plurality of uncooled laser diodes configured to transmit optical signals to a plurality of transmit single mode optical fibers via the optical connector. The small form factor pluggable module is a quad small form factor pluggable plus (QSFP+) 40GBASE-SR4 module that has been converted for use with single mode fibers by substituting their vertical-cavity surface emitting laser diodes (VCSEL) with longer range uncooled laser diodes. Example replacement lasers may include uncooled Fabry-Perot (FP) laser diodes or Distributed Feedback (DFB) laser diodes. To connect the module to lower grade fibers, a single mode-to-multimode mode conditioning patch cord is provided with a plurality of inline physical offsets, one for each pair of fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Carlo Tosetti, Damiano Rossetti, Mala Krishnan, Marco Mazzini
  • Patent number: RE44014
    Abstract: An optical reader system is described herein which has a single mode (SM) optical fiber launch/receive system that uses one or more SM optical fibers to interrogate a biosensor and does not use multimode (MM) optical fibers to interrogate the biosensor. The use of the SM optical fiber launch/receive system effectively reduces angular sensitivity, reduces unwanted system reflections, improves overall angular tolerance, and improves resonant peak reflectivity and resonant peak width. Two specific embodiments of the SM optical fiber launch/receive system are described herein which include: (1) a dual fiber collimator launch/receive system; and (2) a single fiber launch/receive system that interrogates the biosensor at a normal incidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Jacques Gollier, Garrett A. Piech
  • Patent number: RE44262
    Abstract: An optical coupler is provided. It has a bundle of multimode fibers with a few-mode fiber in its centre. Such bundle is fused at one end which is the output end for the signal that is transmitted by the few-mode fiber. To make the coupler, this output end of the bundle is aligned and spliced with a large area core double clad fiber while preserving the modal content of the feed-through. A method for making such optical coupler is also provided. It includes the steps of bundling a central few-mode fiber with a plurality of multimode fibers and then fusing one end of such bundle and aligning it and splicing with a large core double clad fiber, while preserving fundamental mode transmission from one to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: ITF Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: François Gonthier, Lilian Martineau, François Seguin, Alain Villeneuve, Mathieu Faucher, Nawfel Azami, Marc Garneau