Input/output Coupler Patents (Class 385/31)
  • Patent number: 8483521
    Abstract: Disclosed are resonant optical modulators, and methods of use thereof, that achieve constant photon populations in the resonator by simultaneously modulating at least two variable modulation parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Milos Popovic
  • Patent number: 8483526
    Abstract: An innovative micro-size photonic switch is presented. The photonic switch is comprised of: a mirror having a reflecting surface; an input waveguide; and an output tapered waveguide structure. The photonic switch further includes a switching mechanism disposed adjacent to the reflecting surface and operable to change the refractive index along the reflective surface and thereby shift the angle at which the optical signal reflects from the mirror. More specifically, the switching mechanism may operate to change concentration of free carrier distribution along the reflective surface and thereby displace the effective reflecting interface of the mirror. In this way, the optical signal can be directed to one of two or more output ports of the output tapered waveguide structure and finally exited by one output waveguide channel that is connected to the selected port of the output tapered waveguide structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: University of Ottawa
    Inventors: DeGui Sun, Trevor Hall
  • Patent number: 8478093
    Abstract: A multimode interference coupler includes at least one supply waveguide and at least one output waveguide, wherein the coupler has along its longitudinal extent in the direction of the supply waveguide at least one longitudinal section in which the refractive index has a locally oscillating profile in a direction running substantially at right angles to the direction of the supply waveguide. A method for the structural configuration of such a multimode interference coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Reinhard Kunkel, Martin Schell, Inigo Molina-Fernandez, Gonzalo Wangümert Perez, Alejandro Ortega Monux
  • 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: 8472777
    Abstract: This invention relates to an optical fiber access terminal and its terminal parts, specifically to an optical fiber interface protective cap for the terminal body. An optical fiber access terminal includes a terminal body and a protective cap. The terminal body provides an incision from which an optical fiber splice is exposed. The protective cap covering the incision includes a front end, a rear end, an upside, an underside, a right side and a left side portion. The front end portion has a wire outlet through which an optical fiber passes. The rear end portion has an opening receiving the optical fiber splice. The left side portion has a clamping part clamped with the terminal body. The front end, the rear end, the upside, the underside, the right side and the left side portion make a cavity in which the optical fiber and the optical fiber splice are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: CIG Shanghai Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Changjiang Cui
  • Publication number: 20130156372
    Abstract: An optical coupling module includes a substrate, a circuit board defining two through holes, an optical waveguide positioned between the substrate and the circuit board, and an optical assembly. The optical waveguide includes a core and a clad, each core comprises two coupling surfaces corresponding to the two through holes. At least one coupling surfaces is in an arcuate shape. The clad covers the core, except for the two coupling surfaces exposing out of the clad. The optical assembly formed on the circuit board comprises an optical emitting element and an optical receiving element. The optical emitting element and the optical receiving element are positioned above the two through holes, respectively. Light emitted from the optical emitting element enters the optical waveguide via one of the coupling surface, and leaves from another coupling surface to reach the optical receiving element. The coupling surface is capability of focusing light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: BING-HENG LEE
  • Patent number: 8467642
    Abstract: An arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer according to the present invention including an input channel waveguide, an input slab waveguide, an arrayed waveguide, a polarization dependence eliminating means, an output slab waveguide, a temperature compensating means, and an output channel waveguide is characterized in that the temperature compensating means compensates for the temperature dependence of the optical path lengths in the channel waveguides of the arrayed waveguide, and the polarization dependence eliminating means eliminates the temperature dependence and the polarization dependence of the arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignees: NTT Electronics Corporation, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Ogawa, Takashi Saida, Yuji Moriya, Shigeo Nagashima, Yasuyuki Inoue, Shin Kamei
  • Patent number: 8462429
    Abstract: An optical combiner 100 includes: fibers for propagation of pumping light 20 configured to propagate pumping light; a fiber for propagation of laser light 10 configured to propagate laser light having a longer wavelength than the pumping light; and a large area fiber 30 having a core 31 and a clad 32 and configured to propagate laser light and pumping light, in which one end surface of the fiber for propagation of laser light 10 and one end surface of the large area fiber 30 are fused, one end surfaces of the fibers for propagation of pumping light 20 and the one end surface of the large area fiber 30 are fused, and the fiber for propagation of laser light 10 and the fibers for propagation of pumping light 20 are not fused to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventor: Hironori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8461822
    Abstract: A fiber optic current or magnetic field sensor uses a sensing fiber in a coil for measuring a current or a magnetic field and has a retarder for converting between linearly polarized light and elliptically polarized light. The retardation of the retarder, its temperature dependence as well as its azimuth angle in respect to the plane of the fiber coil are optimized in dependence of the birefringence in the sensing fiber in order to minimize the influence of temperature variations and manufacturing tolerances on the overall scale factor of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Robert Wueest, Andreas Frank, Klaus Bohnert
  • Publication number: 20130142481
    Abstract: In various embodiments, an optical fiber includes a core having a relatively large area selected so as to raise a threshold of stimulated Raman scattering or stimulated Brillouin scattering, or both, the core having a high aspect ratio elongated cross-section and having a first refractive index. The core is narrower in a fast-axis direction and wider in a slow-axis direction, such that the fiber is mechanically flexible in the fast-axis direction and is mechanically rigid in the slow-axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: David A. ROCKWELL, James Randolph MULROY, Vladimir V. SHKUNOV
  • Patent number: 8457453
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods that compensate for the thermally-induced drift of the resonance frequency of a closed-loop resonator include, in an exemplary embodiment, a waveguide-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) and an overcoupled, waveguide-based microring resonator. The temperature-induced red-shifting ring resonance can be balanced by a spectral blueshift with temperature of the MZI. To stabilize the resonance of the ring at a given wavelength, the change in optical path lengths with temperature of the ring and the MZI should be equal and opposite. The interplay of nonlinear change in phase of ring resonator with temperature and linear change in phase of MZI with temperature, along with matching the period of this phase change, gives rise to perfect oscillation in the combined system resonance with temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Michal Lipson, Biswajeet Guha
  • Patent number: 8452137
    Abstract: An optical backplane is provided that has at least first and second side walls that are generally parallel to one another and at least one optical relay element disposed on at least one of the parallel side walls. An optical signal is coupled into the optical backplane through an entrance facet of the backplane. The optical signal is maintained within the optical backplane by internal reflection at the parallel side walls of the backplane. The optical relay element receives the optical signal reflected off of one of the side walls and reflects and refocuses the optical signal to guide the optical signal and prevent it from diverging as it propagates through the backplane from the entrance facet to the exit facet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ye Chen, Penyue Wen, Ron Kaneshiro
  • Patent number: 8451528
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses and methods for phase correlated seeding of parametric mixer and for generating coherent frequency combs. The parametric mixer may use two phase-correlated optical waves with different carrier frequencies to generate new optical waves centered at frequencies differing from the input waves, while retaining the input wave coherent properties. In the case when parametric mixer is used to generate frequency combs with small frequency pitch, the phase correlation of the input (seed) waves can be achieved by electro-optical modulator and a single master laser. In the case when frequency comb possessing a frequency pitch that is larger than frequency modulation that can be affected by electro-optic modulator, the phase correlation of the input (seed) waves is achieved by combined use of an electro-optical modulator and injection locking to a single or multiple slave lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Ram Photonics, LLC
    Inventor: Ping Piu Kuo
  • Patent number: 8452141
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides optical waveguide coupling devices and associated methods. In one example, an optical waveguide coupling device can comprise a dielectric grating coupler, a first optical waveguide attached to a first surface of the dielectric grating coupler, and a second optical waveguide attached to a second surface of the dielectric grating coupler. The second optical waveguide can be oriented opposed to the first optical waveguide allowing for communication therebetween via the sub-wavelength grating. Additionally, the dielectric grating coupler can comprise a first dielectric material; a sub-wavelength grating attached to the first dielectric material, the sub-wavelength grating having a higher refractive index than the first dielectric material; and a second dielectric material optically coupled to the sub-wavelength grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kai-Mei Camilla Fu, Michael Renne Ty Tan, Zhen Peng
  • Publication number: 20130129281
    Abstract: An optical device for implementing passive alignment of parts and a method therefore, more particularly an optical device and a method therefore that utilize an alignment reference part 115 arranged on the substrate 110 to passively align an optical element part 111 with a lens-optical fiber connection part 120. For the passive alignment of parts, connection pillars 115b of an alignment reference part 115 are coupled to substrate holes 114, one or more light-emitting elements 111a and one or more light-receiving elements 111b are aligned in a row in a particular interval with respect to alignment holes 115a arranged opposite each other in the alignment reference part 115, a lens-optical fiber connection part 120 is aligned with respect to the alignment holes 115a, and an optical fiber 133 is aligned with the optical alignment point at a surface 122b of a prism forming a portion of the lens-optical fiber connection part 120.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: UNIVE CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yung Sung Son, Sang-Shin Lee, Hak-Soon Lee, Jun-Young Park
  • Patent number: 8447155
    Abstract: An optical device for generating a frequency comb includes an optical source and a first waveguide comprising a nonlinear optical medium operable to mix at least two input optical waves to generate a plurality of first optical waves. The optical device also includes a second waveguide concatenated to the first waveguide and characterized by a first dispersion characteristics and operable to compress the waveforms of the plurality of first optical waves and to reduce a frequency chirp introduced by the first waveguide. The optical device additionally includes a third waveguide concatenated to the second waveguide. The third waveguide comprises a nonlinear optical medium and is operable to mix the plurality of first optical waves to generate a plurality of second optical waves and to increase a total number of second optical waves with respect to a total number of first optical waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Ram Photonics, LLC
    Inventors: Ping Piu Kuo, Yauheni Myslivets
  • Patent number: 8442364
    Abstract: An optical waveguide device includes an optical branch device for branching a first input light and outputting the branched first input light to a first and a second optical waveguides, another optical branch device, arranged between the first and the second optical waveguides, for branching a second input light and outputting the branched second input light to a third and a fourth optical waveguides, an optical coupler which couples the lights traveling along the first and the third optical waveguides, then branches the coupled lights, and outputs them; and another optical coupler which couples the lights traveling along the second and the fourth optical waveguides, then branches the coupled lights, and outputs them, wherein optical path lengths of either a pair of the first and the second optical waveguides or a pair of the third and the fourth optical waveguides are set to be equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Shinya Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8442369
    Abstract: Methods of using an optical device capable of distributing the optical power presented at an input to specified ratios in two output ports. The devices and methods described herein have the ability to broaden the range of wavelengths over which the splitting ratio is even, or substantially even. Methods involve achieving a desired splitting ratio over a broad or ultra-broad wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth McGreer, Anthony J. Ticknor, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 8442362
    Abstract: An optical coupling structure that interfaces between optical devices mounted on a substrate and optical waveguides formed in the substrate. A manufacturing method includes preparing a wafer formed on an inorganic solid material on a dicing tape and cutting the back surface of the wafer to form substantially angled portions using a dicing blade having a point angle. The dicing tape is stripped from the wafer and the wafer is separated at the valleys between the substantially angled portions to obtain an optical coupling element. The obtained optical coupling element is a three-dimensional polyhedral light-reflecting member having a mirror surface corresponding to a surface of the wafer. The obtained optical coupling element is inserted into a trench that opens, substantially perpendicular to an optical waveguide of an optical transmission substrate, in the main surface of the optical transmission substrate to provide a structure for optical coupling with the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Nakagawa, Hidetoshi Numata, Kuniaki Sueoka, Yoichi Taira
  • 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: 8437583
    Abstract: An optical module having a flexible substrate having, even after actual manufacturing steps, excellent transmission characteristics of high-frequency signals and an advantage that electromagnetic field radiation is reduced even when it is connected with a package. The flexible substrate used in external connection of the package of the optical module uses a flexible substrate having a coplanar line to which a lead pin is fixedly attached, a grounded coplanar line which is in contact with the coplanar region, and a microstrip line which is in contact with the grounded coplanar line. The flexible substrate has an electrode layout in which an electromagnetic field component of a surface ground line and a signal line is more dominant than an electromagnetic field component of a back-surface ground line and the signal line in a region of the coplanar line adjacent to the grounded coplanar line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Oclaro Japan, Inc.
    Inventor: Takuma Ban
  • Patent number: 8430576
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe optical cable housings including fiber termination units to couple optical fiber components to lenses. As in prior art solutions, embodiments of the invention utilize said fiber termination units to couple and optically align the optical fiber to the lenses; however, embodiments of the invention include flat-sided structures to more securely couple the optical fiber to the lenses; furthermore, said structures are more suitable for mass manufacturing compared to prior art solutions. Discussion herein of connectors and receptacles refers to providing a mechanical and communicative connection. The mating of the connector/receptacle may be facilitated via housing and alignment structural features, and typically includes contact of the electrical contacts and alignment of fiber optical signal transmission elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Jamyuen Ko
  • 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: 8432614
    Abstract: An optical device including a light waves-transmitting substrate having two major surfaces and edges, has optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) carried by the substrate. The partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate. One or more of the partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) is an anisotropic surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
    Inventor: Yaakov Amitai
  • Patent number: 8433172
    Abstract: The invention relates to optical guides and more precisely to guides for conveying an image without deforming the same. These guides can particularly be used in the production of ocular-vision optical systems more currently named informative spectacles. The optical guide includes an extraction section made of reflective microstructures at the surface of the guide. The microstructures define prisms having a calculated angle in order to send back the light beam at a given angle relative to the opposite surface enabling the exit thereof from the guide. Advantageously, the cut and the arrangement of said microstructures make them invisible to the eye while generating a large and comfortable image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: OPT Invent
    Inventors: Benoit Pascal, Dubroca Guilhem, Sarayeddine Khaled
  • Patent number: 8433162
    Abstract: A method and system for coupling optical signals into silicon optoelectronic chips are disclosed and may include coupling one or more optical signals into a back surface of one or more of a plurality of CMOS photonic chips comprising photonic, electronic, and optoelectronic devices. The devices may be integrated in a front surface of the chips and optical couplers may receive the optical signals in the front surface of the chips. The optical signals may be coupled into the back surface of the chips via optical fibers and/or optical source assemblies. The optical signals may be coupled to the optical couplers via a light path etched in the chips, which may be refilled with silicon dioxide. The chips may be flip-chip bonded to a packaging substrate. Optical signals may be reflected back to the optical couplers via metal reflectors, which may be integrated in dielectric layers on the chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Luxtera Inc.
    Inventors: Thierry Pinguet, Attila Mekis, Steffen Gloeckner
  • Publication number: 20130100450
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical waveguide, comprising: an input end for receiving a divergent beam; an output end for outputting an illuminating beam; a longitudinal cavity extending from the input end till the output end; a first pinhole located at a first predetermined distance from the input end within the said longitudinal cavity for receiving the divergent beam and for generating a fringe pattern, said first pinhole bifurcating the longitudinal cavity into a first and a second light propagating regions, the longitudinal cavity forming the first light propagating region being provided with a reflective coating on its internal surface to enable internal reflection of the divergent beam; and a second pinhole located at the output end for receiving the fringe pattern thus generated by the first pinhole and for outputting the illuminating beam corresponding to a central bright fringe contained in the said fringe pattern via the output end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Inventor: Amit Bhatnagar
  • Patent number: 8427725
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a light modulating device, comprising a SLM and a pixelated optical element, in which a group of at least two adjacent pixels of the SLM in combination with a corresponding group of pixels in the pixelated optical element form a macropixel, the pixelated optical element being of a type such that its pixels comprise a fixed content, each macropixel being used to represent a numerical value which is manifested physically by the states of the pixels of the SLM and the content of the pixels of the pixelated optical element which form the macropixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Seereal Technologies S.A.
    Inventors: Gerald Futterer, Bo Kroll, Steffen Buschbeck
  • Patent number: 8428400
    Abstract: An extensometer having a loop of a single-mode optical fiber. At least two points of the loop are attached to desired locations on a specimen. Light is transmitted through the loop and the transmitted optical power is measured by a photodetector. The deformation of the specimen causes the size and shape of the loop to change, which changes the transmitted optical power. The change in optical power is related to extension or compression using calibration curves. The sensor works on the principle of transmitted power modulation through the curved section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Polytechnic Institute of New York University
    Inventors: Nikhil Gupta, Nguyen Quang Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20130094799
    Abstract: An optoelectronic interface includes an optically transparent substrate; and an alignment layer comprising a pattern of alignment features disposed on said optically transparent substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Sagi Varghese Mathai, Michael Renne Ty Tan, Paul Kessler Rosenberg, Wayner V. Sorin, George Panotopoulos, Susant K. Patra
  • Patent number: 8422836
    Abstract: A printed circuit board element (1) with a substrate (2), with at least one optoelectronic component (3) embedded in a photopolymerizable optical layer material (5), and with at least one optical waveguide (6) optically coupled with the former and structured in the optical material by photon absorption, wherein a prefabricated deflection mirror (4) embedded in the optical material (5) and optically coupled with the optoelectronic component (3) via the optical waveguide (6) is arranged on the substrate (2), optionally together with a support (4?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: AT & S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Markus Riester, Gregor Langer
  • Patent number: 8422845
    Abstract: A photo-electric integrated circuit device comprises an on-die optical input/output device. The on-die optical input/output device comprises a substrate having a trench, a lower cladding layer disposed in the trench and having an upper surface lower than an upper surface of the substrate, and a core disposed on the lower cladding layer at a distance from sidewalls of the trench and having an upper surface at substantially the same level as the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pil-Kyu Kang, Dae Lok Bae, Gil Heyun Choi, Jong Myeong Lee
  • Publication number: 20130087690
    Abstract: Optical connectors, adapters, and devices with such are provided. Optical connectors can have a relatively large diameter for the optical interface. For example, optical connectors can include a collector for receiving optical signals at a large opening and providing signals to a photodiode at a small opening of the collector. Such optical connectors with a large diameter for an optical interface can advantageously provide reduced alignment tolerances and/or provide high data rates. Adapters can use a collector to convert optical data signals from a large width fiber to a smaller width fiber. An optical connector can be in a docking station, and lie underneath a bottom surface of a recess in the docking station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Patent number: 8414199
    Abstract: An optical connector and lens block connecting structure includes a substrate, an optical element, a lens frame including two side ribs, and a fore rib, a lens block for bending the optical path of the optical element to convert into an optical path parallel to the substrate, an optical connector provided at a fore end of an optical fiber cable, an optical connector frame including two side ribs and a rear rib, and an elastic member interposed between the rear rib of the optical connector frame and the optical connector. The optical connector frame is fixed to the substrate such that the optical connector is mounted to the lens block while the rear rib of the optical connector frame allows the elastic member to press the optical connector toward the lens block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Ishigami
  • Patent number: 8417073
    Abstract: New circuit architecture for electro-optic modulator based on free-carrier dispersion effect is invented, in which the waveguide capacitor of the modulator is embed in the circuits and physically layout together with transistors, the switching of the modulator occurs in transistors, and as the result, the electro-optical modulation occurs in the waveguide capacitor. The invented modulator is not one physical device, it is actually a circuit. Several circuit design techniques are imported, leading to several new modulator circuits that have very high operation speed and very small power consumption. Several new waveguide capacitor structures are also invented that allow high efficient modulator circuits to be built.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Inventor: Bing Li
  • Publication number: 20130084040
    Abstract: A light collecting and disseminating apparatus is provided for use in harvesting sunlight from the exterior of a man-made structure, and providing light to the inside of the structure, via an opto-mechanical joint where sunlight would not normally be available. The internal arrangement of the collector allows for improved optical accuracy and performance over prior efforts. The apparatus is also characterized as possessing a low profile so as not to alter the appearance of buildings furnished with the invention. Further, light can be collected from any orientation and redirected through the opto-mechanical joint to a stationary light receiving port independent of the orientation of the collectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: SUNCENTRAL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jon David Edward Scott, Allen James Upward, Peter George Friedel, Mark Richard Mosher
  • Patent number: 8412010
    Abstract: An optical concentrator having a concentrating element for collecting input light, a redirecting element for receiving the light and also for redirecting the light, and a waveguide including a plurality of incremental portions enabling collection and concentration of the light onto a receiver. Other systems replace the receiver by a light source so the optics can provide illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Banyan Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Shondip Ghosh, David Sheldon Schultz, John Hunter Mack, Christopher Stephen Grimmer, Kevin Richard Fine
  • Patent number: 8412008
    Abstract: A semiconductor optical device includes a first optical waveguide including first, second, and third sections; a second optical waveguide including fourth, fifth, and sixth sections; an input optical coupler; and an output optical coupler. The first and second optical waveguides and the input and output optical couplers each include a first cladding layer composed of an n-type semiconductor and a core layer. The second and fifth sections each include an intermediate semiconductor layer on the core layer, and a second cladding layer composed of an n-type semiconductor. The first, third, fourth, and sixth sections and the input and output optical couplers each further include a third cladding layer on the core layer. At least one of the third cladding layers includes a first cladding section on the core layer and a second cladding section on the first cladding section. The second cladding section is composed of a semi-insulating semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun-ichi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130077917
    Abstract: Certain embodiments may include a laser system configured to emit collimated laser light, a beam diverging element configured to diverge the laser light to yield a range of propagation angles with a maximum angle greater than zero, and fiber coupling optics configured to direct the diverged laser light towards a spot of a cross-section of a fiber core of an optical fiber. As another example, certain embodiments may include a laser system configured to emit collimated laser light, a beam shaping element configured to shape the laser light into a beam with an elliptical cross-section, and fiber coupling optics configured to direct the diverged laser light towards a spot of a cross-section of a fiber core of an optical fiber, where the spot's center point is located at a distance from the cross-section's center point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Bruno Lassalas, Michael J. Papac, Michael J. Yadlowsky
  • Patent number: 8406580
    Abstract: A transform spectrometer measurement apparatus and method for a planar waveguide circuit (PLC). The spectrometer typically includes an input optical signal waveguide carrying an input optical signal; a plurality of couplers, each connected to the input optical signal waveguide, and each including a coupler output for carrying a coupled optical signal related to the input optical signal; and an array of interleaved, waveguide Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZI), each having at least one input MZI waveguide, each MZI input waveguide receiving a coupled optical signal from a respective coupler output. A phase shifting circuit is applied to at least one arm of the MZIs to induce an active phase shift on the arm to thereby measure phase error in the MZIs. Light output from the MZIs is measured under intrinsic phase error conditions and after an active phase shift by the phase shifting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignees: AiDi Corporation, GUNMA University
    Inventors: Kazumasa Takada, Katsunari Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8406587
    Abstract: Fiber adapter modules for use as interfaces at both ends of multi-fiber trunk cables position the channels of plural fiber optic transceivers onto fibers of the trunk cables in an efficient manner, such that normally dark fibers of a trunk cables are utilized. The fiber adapter modules include trunk-side ports for receiving adapters of multi-fiber trunk cables and transceiver-side ports for receiving adapters carrying both transmit channels and receive channels of fiber optic transceivers. Optical interconnections are provided within the fiber adapter modules to place at least one transmit channel or at least one receive channel of a first fiber optic transceiver at a first trunk-side port and to place at least one transmit channel or at least one receive channel of a second fiber optic transceiver at the first trunk-side port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina
    Inventors: Ronald L. Mudd, Bradley S. Billman, Richard L. Case, Paul F. Kolesar
  • Publication number: 20130071062
    Abstract: A plasmonic transducer includes at least two metal elements with a gap therebetween. The metal elements are placed along a plasmon-enhanced, near-field radiation delivery axis. Cross sections of the metal elements in a plane normal to the delivery axis vary in shape along the delivery axis. The metal elements have a reduced cross section portion at a media-facing surface oriented normal to the delivery axis. A dielectric material surrounds the reduced cross section portion of the plasmonic transducer at the media-facing surface, and reduces deformation of the metal elements proximate the media-facing surface at elevated temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventor: Seagate Technology LLC
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20130064502
    Abstract: A plasmonic transducer includes at least two metal elements with a gap therebetween. The metal elements are elongated along a plasmon-enhanced, near-field radiation delivery axis. Cross sections of the metal elements in a plane normal to the delivery axis vary in shape along the delivery axis. A waveguide is disposed along an elongated side of the plasmonic transducer. The waveguide is optically coupled to the plasmonic transducer along the elongated side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Chubing Peng, Yongjun Zhao
  • Patent number: 8396338
    Abstract: An opto-electric hybrid module capable of shortening the distance between a light-emitting section or a light-receiving section of a semiconductor chip and a reflecting surface formed in a core to reduce optical losses between an opto-electric conversion substrate section and an optical waveguide section, and a method of manufacturing the same. A recessed portion (3a) is formed in a surface of an over cladding layer (3) of the optical waveguide section (W1). At least part of the light-emitting section (7a) or the light-receiving section of the semiconductor chip (7) for opto-electric conversion and at least part of a loop portion (8a) of a bonding wire (8) in the opto-electric conversion substrate section (E1) are positioned within the recessed portion (3a). This brings the light-emitting section (7a) or the light-receiving section of the semiconductor chip (7) and the reflecting surface (2a) formed in the core (2) closer to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Nishio, Masayuki Hodono
  • Patent number: 8396341
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for fabricating an optical filter based on polymer asymmetric bragg couplers using holographic interference techniques, soft lithography, and micro molding, which comprises following steps: prepare a UV polymer with gratings; coating photo-resister film on the UV polymer, and exposed by UV light to obtain a photo-resister mold with two grooves each having gratings; coating diluted PDMS film on the photo-resister mold, and baking the PDMS film to obtain a PDMS mold having two waveguides with gratings; placing glass substrate over the PDMS mold to form a first tunnel; injecting a precure UV polymer into the first tunnel to from a cladding layer with two grooves having gratings pattern at its bottom; placing glass slide over the cladding layer and injecting a mixed UV polymer into the grooves to form waveguide cores; placing a second glass substrate over the cladding layer, and injecting UV polymer to form an upper cladding layer laminated with the cladding layer to obtai
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: China University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Kun-Yi Lee, Wei-Ching Chuang, Cheng-Che Lee, Wei-Yu Lee
  • Patent number: 8396339
    Abstract: A virtual image display device with an optical waveguide to guide, by internal total reflection, parallel pencil groups meeting a condition of internal total reflection, a first reflection volume hologram grating to diffract and reflect the parallel pencil groups incident upon the optical waveguide from outside and traveling in different directions as they are so as to meet the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide and a second reflection volume hologram grating to project the parallel pencil groups guided by internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide as they are from the optical waveguide by diffraction and reflection thereof so as to depart from the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mukawa, Katsuyuki Akutsu
  • Patent number: 8391727
    Abstract: A detector module for the reception of optical signals (SE) including a module housing having at least one electrical and at least one optical bushing, at least one electrical assembly connected to the electrical bushing, and at least one optical assembly connected to the optical bushing, the electrical and optical assemblies being arranged within the module housing, the optical and electrical assemblies being connected to one another via at least one optical interface, and the electrical assembly having at least one photodiode for converting the optical output signals of the optical assembly into electrical signals. The optical assembly has at least one collimator and on the output side transmits at least one beam comprising collimated electromagnetic rays running parallel to one another via a free-radiating connection as optical interface to the electrical assembly, and the electrical assembly receives the beam from the optical assembly via the free-radiating connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: u2t Photonics AG
    Inventors: Andreas Gerhard Steffan, Georgios Tsianos
  • Publication number: 20130051722
    Abstract: An optical transmitter module includes a light source, a first optical circulation unit, a first optical reflector, and an output unit. The light source emits a first light signal with a first wavelength, and a second light signal with a second wavelength. The first optical circulation unit includes three optical couplers and three optical isolators, which are alternately connected to one another to form a loop. The first optical circulation unit includes a first port at a first optical coupler, a second port at a second optical coupler, and a third port at a third optical coupler. The first port is optically coupled to the light source. The first optical reflector is optically coupled to the second port. The first optical reflector reflects the first light signal back to the second port. The output unit is optically coupled to the third port to output the first light signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: YU-CHAO HSIAO
  • Publication number: 20130051728
    Abstract: In part, the invention relates to an optical probe including a torque wire; an optical fiber positioned within the torque wire; a beam director positioned coaxial with and adjacent to one end of the optical fiber; and an overcladding, positioned adjacent to and over the optical fiber and the beam director, the overcladding defining an air gap adjacent the beam director so as to cause total internal reflection alight passing from the optical fiber through the beam director. In one embodiment, the optical probe includes a beam expander and a beam shaper coaxial with and located between the optical fiber and the beam director. In another embodiment, the optical probe further includes a marker band positioned over a portion of the overcladding. In yet another embodiment, the overcladding is made of flurosilica glass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: LightLab Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Petroff, David L. Kelly