"y" Coupler Patents (Class 385/45)
  • Patent number: 7791065
    Abstract: An ultrasensitive optical detector with high resolution in time, using a waveguide, and a processes for manufacturing this detector. The detector is configured to detect at least one photon and includes a dielectric substrate and at least one detection element on the substrate, configured to generate an electrical signal starting from energy of the photon received, and a guide element to guide the photon, the energy of which is then absorbed by the detection element at an absorption zone which is less than 100 nm thick. The detection element is substantially straight on the substrate and is short, and the guide element includes a single mode light waveguide with strong confinement, placed on the detection element. The detector is particularly applicable to detection and localization of operating defects in a semiconducting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Laurent Frey, Jean-Claude Villegier
  • Patent number: 7773851
    Abstract: A compact optical splitter module is disclosed. One type of compact optical splitter module is a planar attenuated splitter module that includes a branching waveguide network having j?1 50:50 splitters that form up to n?2j output waveguides having associated n output ports, wherein only m<n output ports are suitable for transmitting light to the at least one external output device. This provides a 1×m splitter module wherein each output port has the attenuation of a 1×n splitter module, thereby obviating the need for external attenuation. Another type of compact optical splitter module is a direct-connect splitter module that eliminates the need for an optical fiber array when coupling to external optical fibers. Another type of compact optical splitter module is a microsplitter module that serves as device and module at the same time and that eliminates the differentiation between device and module. The integration of device and module also makes manufacturing the microsplitter module cost-effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC
    Inventors: Guy Castonguay, Konstantinos Saravanos, Michael Heath Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 7773841
    Abstract: Fiber optic sensors commonly require a 180 degree turnaround to form a continuous optical circuit. Methods and apparatus for providing 180 degree turnarounds in a fiber optic system that include a shorter radius turnaround then provided by micro-bending the optic fiber are desired. An embodiment of a turnaround apparatus includes a first optic fiber pigtail, a second optic fiber pigtail, and an optical waveguide forming a U-shaped path having an input end optically connected to a first end of the first pigtail and an output end optically connected to a first end of the second pigtail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Harini Varadarajan, Ramaswamy Meyyappan
  • Patent number: 7760975
    Abstract: A shared light pipe is set forth for transmitting light generated by a message waiting LED in a mobile communication device, in one direction, and transmitting ambient or surrounding light, in an opposite direction, to a light sensor for controlling a display backlight of the device. The light pipe includes an elongated first portion having a first end for receiving and transmitting light and external surfaces for reflecting light there through via total internal reflection (TIR), a second portion coextensive with the first portion for outputting light received at the first end and reflected through the first portion, and a second branch coextensive with the first portion for receiving and transmitting light for output at the first end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Robert J. Lowles
  • Publication number: 20100172614
    Abstract: A bidirectional optical module according to the present invention emits light to an optical fiber and allows returning light from the optical fiber to enter and includes a plurality of light emitting elements that emit light to enter the optical fiber, a light receiving element that receives light having exited the optical fiber, and a non-reciprocal unit for making an optical path in a forward direction from the light emitting element to the optical fiber and an optical path in a backward direction from the optical fiber to the light emitting element different. Then, polarization planes of light incident on the optical fiber after being emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements are mutually orthogonal, and the non-reciprocal unit emits returning light of light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements from the optical fiber toward the light receiving element to one light receiving element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicants: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION, OPTOHUB CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsushi Oota, Haruo Shibuya, Yasuaki Tamura, Shunji Sakai
  • Patent number: 7742666
    Abstract: An optical beam splitter includes an input waveguide, two or more branching arms, two or more fan-out arms, and two or more output waveguides. The input waveguide receives an input light beam. The two or more branching arms are coupled to the input waveguide at a separation point and split the input light beam at the separation point into two or more light beams. Each fan-out arm is coupled to one of the branching arms and fans-out one of the two or more light beams to a predetermined output pitch. Each output waveguide is coupled to one of the fan-out arms and transmits one of the two or more light beams out of the optical beam splitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Michael G. Lee, Alexei L. Glebov, Dashun S. Zhou
  • Publication number: 20100119229
    Abstract: An optical device for optically multiplexing or demultiplexing light of different predetermined wavelengths is provided, the optical device comprising at least one first waveguide (11) and at least one second waveguide (12) formed on a substrate (10), wherein the at least one first waveguide and the at least one second waveguide intersect at an intersection, comprising a diffraction grating structure (13) formed at the intersection. There exists a first wavelength or wavelength band travelling within the first waveguide (11) exciting the grating structure and being diffracted an angle corresponding to an outcoupling direction and there exists a second wavelength or wavelength band, different from the first wavelength or wavelength band, travelling within the second waveguide (12) exciting the grating structure and being diffracted at an angle corresponding to the same outcoupling direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicants: IMEC, UNIVERSITEIT GENT, GENEXIS B.V.
    Inventors: Gunther Roelkens, Dries Van Thourhout, Roel Baets, Gerard Nicolaas Van den Hoven
  • Publication number: 20100085991
    Abstract: An optical resonator has a Y-branched waveguide including first, second, and third optical waveguides interconnected at a single point. The first optical waveguide leads toward a reflector. The second and third optical waveguides are optically interconnected by a curved extension of the second and third optical waveguides, or by an independent ring waveguide to which the second and third optical waveguides are directionally coupled. At least one wavelength selector such as a Mach-Zehnder interferometer is formed in one or both of the second and third optical waveguides. This optical resonator is small in size and can be tuned by means of a single parameter. A tunable laser can be formed by inserting an optical amplifier between the first optical waveguide and the reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hideaki Okayama
  • Patent number: 7689070
    Abstract: A high frequency electrical signal control device comprises a transmitter for generating a high frequency electrical signal, a receiver, a transmission line for propagating the electrical signal, and a structure for radiating the electrical signal propagated through the transmission line to the space or receiving a signal from the space. The degree of coupling of the electrical signal between the space and the transmission line provided by the structure can be variably controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ouchi
  • Patent number: 7680362
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical filter has a polarization rotator and two instances of an optical bandpass filter (OBPF). The first instance of the OBPF processes a TE-polarized component of an optical input signal to produce a first filtered signal. The polarization rotator then transforms the TE polarization of the first filtered signal into the TM polarization. The polarization rotator also transforms the polarization of a TM-polarized component of the optical input signal into the TE polarization. The second instance of the OBPF processes the resulting TE-polarized signal to produce a second filtered signal. The first and second filtered signals having TM and TE polarizations, respectively, are then combined to produce a filtered output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventor: Mahmoud Rasras
  • Publication number: 20100046890
    Abstract: An optical beam splitter includes an input waveguide, two or more branching arms, two or more fan-out arms, and two or more output waveguides. The input waveguide receives an input light beam. The two or more branching arms are coupled to the input waveguide at a separation point and split the input light beam at the separation point into two or more light beams. Each fan-out arm is coupled to one of the branching arms and fans-out one of the two or more light beams to a predetermined output pitch. Each output waveguide is coupled to one of the fan-out arms and transmits one of the two or more light beams out of the optical beam splitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Michael G. Lee, Alexei L. Glebov, Dashun Steve Zhou
  • Patent number: 7664353
    Abstract: The present invention disclosed is an optical waveguide structure that has a first waveguide provided with the opposite ends A and B, a second waveguide with the opposite ends C and D, a third waveguide with the opposite ends E and F, and a coupling waveguide having its first beam incoming/outgoing end connected to the end B of the first waveguide and its second beam incoming/outgoing end connected to the end C of the second waveguide and the end E of the third waveguide. The optical waveguide is characterized in that the first waveguide and the coupling waveguide are longitudinally dimensioned so that light beam at its peak of light intensity can transit the point of axial mal-alignment at the end A of the first waveguide and further transit the axial zone at the second beam incoming/outgoing end of the coupling waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Rei Yamamoto, Nobuo Miyadera
  • Patent number: 7664355
    Abstract: An all-optical logic gates comprises a nonlinear element such as an optical resonator configured to receive optical input signals, at least one of which is amplitude-modulated to include data. The nonlinear element is configured in relation to the carrier frequency of the optical input signals to perform a logic operation based on the resonant frequency of the nonlinear element in relation to the carrier frequency. Based on the optical input signals, the nonlinear element generates an optical output signal having a binary logic level. A combining medium can be used to combine the optical input signals for discrimination by the nonlinear element to generate the optical output signal. Various embodiments include all-optical AND, NOT, NAND, NOR, OR, XOR, and XNOR gates and memory latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: CoveyTech LLC
    Inventor: John Luther Covey
  • Patent number: 7660493
    Abstract: An optical modulator is provided. The optical modulator includes a thin plate made of an electrooptic material and having a thickness of 20 ?m or less, an optical waveguide formed on a top or bottom surface of the thin plate, and a modulation electrode formed on the top surface of the thin plate to modulate light passing through the optical waveguide, wherein, in a shape of the thin plate, a width of the thin plate at an optical input portion or optical output portion of the optical waveguide is two time or less the thickness of the thin plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Kondou, Satoshi Oikawa, Takashi Shinriki
  • Patent number: 7657139
    Abstract: The invention provides tunable delay or resonator devices in an electro optical substrate. Signals in at least one waveguide in the electro optical substrate pass through Y-junction reflectors which direct signals from one branch of the waveguide back into another branch of the waveguide. A coupled delay or resonator approximated loop is presented in an embodiment of the invention with opposing Y-junction reflectors. In other embodiments of the invention, a delay ladder is provided with selectable levels of delay from multiple outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, National Institute of Information and Communication, Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jianxiao Chen, Paul Kit Lai Yu, Tetsuya Kawanishi, Kaoru Higuma
  • Publication number: 20090304332
    Abstract: An optical splitter (100) has an optical conductor track arrangement (LB), which extends from a first side (S1) to a second side (S2) of an optical chip of the optical splitter. The conductor track arrangement (LB) has a plurality of branching nodes (K1) at which in each case a conductor track section (LB1) branches into a plurality of conductor track sections (LB2, LB3). At a branching node (K1), the light power fed in via a first conductor track section (LB1) is distributed non-uniformly between the conductor track sections (LB2, LB3), which are connected downstream and which branch from the branching node (K1). Receiving units (R1) that are at a greater distance from a transmitting unit (T) than other receiving units (R2) are connected to those conductor track sections (LB2) of the optical splitter which have a lower insertion loss on account of the non-uniform ratio of the splitting of the light power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventor: Wolfgang Schweiker
  • Patent number: 7630588
    Abstract: A high frequency electrical signal control device comprises a transmitter for generating a high frequency electrical signal, a receiver, a transmission line for propagating the electrical signal, and a structure for radiating the electrical signal propagated through the transmission line to the space or receiving a signal from the space. The degree of coupling of the electrical signal between the space and the transmission line provided by the structure can be variably controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20090285532
    Abstract: [Object] A self-written branched optical waveguide is formed. [Solving Means] A laser beam 2 from a laser source (not shown) is focused with a lens 3 onto the face of incidence 10 of an optical fiber 1. The laser beam of an LP11 mode was emitted from the face of emergence 11, and “bimodal” light intensity peaks were arranged in the horizontal direction (1.A). A slide glass 4 coated with a photocurable resin gel 5 was placed horizontally (1.B). A single linear cured material 61 was formed as the LP11-mode laser beam was emitted from the face of emergence 11 of the optical fiber 1 (1.C). A branch portion 62 was then formed at a distance L from the face of emergence 11 of the optical fiber 1, which was followed by the growth of two cylindrical cured materials 63a and 63b. The two cylindrical cured materials 63a and 63b were linear branches, and formed an angle of about four degrees. An optical waveguide 60 thus formed was composed of cured materials 61, 62, 63a, and 63b (1.D).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho, National University Corporation Shizuoka University Faculty of Engineering
    Inventors: Manabu Kagami, Tatsuya Yamashita, Masatoshi Yonemura, Naomichi Okamoto, Masahiro Tomiki
  • Patent number: 7616854
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for operation therefore. The apparatus, in one embodiment, includes an optical coupling structure disposed within a cladding region, wherein the optical coupling structure includes a first guiding portion and a second guiding portion. In this embodiment the first guiding portion has a first end proximate a core of a planar waveguide, and a second end proximate the second guiding portion and having a first thickness. Moreover, in this embodiment the second guiding portion has a first end proximate the first guiding portion and a second end, the second end of the second guiding portion having a second thickness less than the first thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas M. Gill, Sanjay Patel, Mahmoud Rasras
  • Patent number: 7600905
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle light unit with one or several lamps, in which light can be guided in a light conductor material, in particular a flashing direction indicator light unit. At least two light conductor sections (16a-16c) are brought together with a first end (18a-18c) and a second end (20a-20c) respectively at one of their ends (20a-20c) in a junction (30), which forms a decoupling region (24), into which light exits, which is guided in the light conductor sections (16a-16c) to the junction (30). Furthermore, the invention relates to an exterior mirror of a vehicle, which is equipped with a light unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Uwe Geiger, André Glaeser
  • Patent number: 7603017
    Abstract: In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a multi-color curved multi-light generating apparatus comprises a first input component adapted to receive a first input light beam, a second input component adapted to receive a second input light beam, a third input component adapted to receive a third input light beam, and an output component adapted to provide an output light beam. The input components and the output component are joined together to combine the input light beams and form the output light beam. In various implementations, each of the input components and the output component comprise a hollow tube with a polygonal cross-section, such as a hexagonal cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Frank T Cianciotto, George H Butler, III
  • Patent number: 7590325
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer that can be smaller in size and higher in Q-factor or efficiency. This object is achieved by the following construction. In a slab-shaped body 11, low refractive index areas 12 having a refractive index lower than that of the material of the body 11 are periodically arranged to construct a two-dimensional photonic crystal, in which a waveguide 13 is formed by not boring holes 12 linearly. A donor type cluster defect 14 is formed by not boring holes 12 at two ore more lattice points located adjacent to the waveguide 13. With this construction, only a specific wavelength of light included in the light propagating through the waveguide 13 resonates at the donor type cluster 14, and the light thus trapped is released to the outside (demultiplexing). Conversely, only a specific wavelength of light may be introduced through the donor type cluster defect 14 into the waveguide 13 (multiplexing).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Susumu Noda, Masamitu Mochizuki, Takashi Asano
  • Patent number: 7587119
    Abstract: An optical waveguide device comprises a first under-cladding layer, a light emitting element provided on an upper surface of the first under-cladding layer and having a light emitting portion which emits light, and a core provided on the upper surface of the first under-cladding layer and having a light receiving portion which receives the light emitted from the light emitting portion of the light emitting element. The light receiving portion of the core has a generally U-shape as seen in plan, and the emitted light is projected into an opening of the generally U-shaped light receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Sazzadur Rahman Khan, Kazunori Mune
  • Patent number: 7583894
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for modulating an optical signal using electroabsorption in conjunction with an optical interferometer. Phase-shift keying modulation can be achieved with lower amplitude modulator drive signals than conventional methods by splitting the signal to be modulated into multiple optical modes and interferometrically combining the modes after modulating at least one of the modes with an EAM. Using the present invention, the extinction ratio performance of ASK can be significantly improved for a given drive voltage or a desired extinction ratio can be achieved with a substantially lower drive voltage. Hence, the elecro-optic bandwidth of EAMs can be enhanced by overcoming the trade-off relationship between extinction ratio and bandwidth. Furthermore, the present invention can be used to generate other modulation formats, such as QPSK or QAM, with much lower drive voltages, thereby reducing the cost and power consumption of the high-speed drive electronics for the modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventor: Inuk Kang
  • Patent number: 7580594
    Abstract: An optical modulation element includes a waveguide defined based on a defect in a photonic crystal, a carrier conducting region for conducting a carrier to the waveguide, an electrode for injecting a carrier into the carrier conducting region, and a current control unit for controlling the quantity of carrier to be conducted to the waveguide, wherein the photonic crystal and the electrode are made of a material containing TiO2 as a main composition, and wherein the current control unit functions to change the refractive index of a medium constituting the waveguide in accordance with the quantity of carrier conducted to the waveguide, thereby to modulate the light propagated through the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hikaru Hoshi
  • Patent number: 7574081
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical system with waveguides, which comprises first, second and third optical input/output means (12, 14, 16), fourth and fifth multi-mode optical waveguides (20, 22) each capable of propagating light with plural propagation modes, and optical-filter mounting means (26) for mounting an optical filter (24) between the fourth and fifth multi-mode optical waveguides (20, 22) across a traveling direction of light in the fourth and fifth multi-mode optical waveguides (20, 22). The first optical input/output means (12) is connected to an end face of the fourth multi-mode optical waveguide (20) on a side thereof opposite to the optical-filter mounting means (26). Each of the second and third optical input/output means (14, 16) is connected to an end face of the fifth multi-mode optical waveguide (22) on a side opposite to the optical-filter mounting means (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Miyadera, Rei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7558456
    Abstract: An optical waveguide device includes a lower cladding layer, a high refractive index region provided on the lower cladding layer, a pair of cores provided on the lower cladding layer on both sides of the high refractive index region, and an upper cladding layer provided on the high refractive index region and the pair of cores. One of the upper and lower cladding layers has a pair of band-shaped parts disposed between the high refractive index region and the pair of cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Taketomo Nakane
  • Publication number: 20090162014
    Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, an optical waveguide; and a branching section which branches a part of a light propagating through the optical waveguide, wherein the branching section has a first coupler which branches the light propagating through the optical waveguide according to a given unequal branching ratio so as to output first and second branched lights, and uses the first branched light as a first output light; and a second coupler which inputs the second branched light output from the first coupler and branches the second branched light into two lights according to a branching ratio which is substantially equal to the branching ratio in the first coupler so as to output third and fourth branched lights, and uses the fourth branched light as a second output light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi SHIRAISHI, Masaharu Doi
  • Patent number: 7529447
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical waveguide device having a configuration such that the optical waveguide is folded back on an end area of the optical waveguide substrate to widen the modulation band. The optical waveguide device 1A includes a substrate body 2 made of an electro-optical material, optical waveguide 6, and modulation electrodes 3, 4 and 5 for applying a voltage on the optical waveguide 6. The optical waveguide 6 includes first primary areas 6e and 6f, a first curved area 7A, first folding-back areas 6g and 6h provided between the first curved area 7A and a folding-back point 8, second primary areas 6m and 6n, a second curved area 7B, and second folding-back areas 6j and 6k provided between the second curved area 7B and the folding-back point 8. At least a part of the signal electrode is provided in a folding-back region extending from the first curved area 7A and the second curved area 7B to the folding-back point 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Aoki, Osamu Mitomi, Jungo Kondo, Yuichi Iwata, Tetsuya Ejiri
  • Patent number: 7519240
    Abstract: A wavelength independent multi-section optical coupler having at least three optical couplers, and at least two differential phase cells. Each optical coupler has two waveguides forming a coupling region having a net coupling value. The coupling value for each coupling region of the at least three optical couplers is different than the coupling values of the other two coupling regions. Each differential phase cell connects adjacent ones of said optical couplers. Each differential phase cell causes a differential phase shift in light signals traversing between the optical couplers, wherein the differential phase shifts of the differential phase cells, and the coupling value for each coupling region are chosen so as to minimize wavelength, and fabrication sensitivity of said wavelength independent multi-section optical coupler for a designed power splitting ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Brent E. Little, Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 7509005
    Abstract: Resistive heaters formed in two mask counts on a surface of a grating of a thermo optic device thereby eliminating one mask count from prior art manufacturing methods. The resistive heater is comprised of a heater region and a conductive path region formed together in a first mask count from a relatively high resistance material. A conductor formed from a relatively low resistance material is formed directly on the conductive path region in a second mask count. Thermo optic devices formed by these two mask count methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej Singh Sandhu, Guy T. Blalock
  • Patent number: 7499613
    Abstract: A Y branch circuit according to the present invention includes; a under clad; a circuit core, formed on the under clad and having a main core and two branch cores, connected to the main core, and an over clad that embeds the circuit core. The main core and the two branch cores are connected across an interval. The two branch cores have a width-to-height ratio of 50% to 150% and have a gap, at the main core end, that is narrower at the over clad side than at the under clad side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: NTT Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Hida, Toshimi Kominato, Yasuyuki Inoue, Norio Takato, Yasumori Ohmura
  • Patent number: 7496254
    Abstract: A curved optical waveguide comprising a core and a clad, characterized in that: the core shape of the curved optical waveguide has no reversal of a curvature on a halfway; and curvatures at both ends of the curved optical waveguide gradually approach zero. A curved optical waveguide comprising a core and a clad, characterized in that: the core shape of the curved optical waveguide has no reversal of a curvature on a halfway; a curvature at one end of the curved optical waveguide gradually approaches zero; and a radius of curvature at other end is finite. An optical waveguide comprising such a curved optical waveguide and an optical waveguide having a different core shape optically connected with the former, and an optical device using such a curved optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Miyadera, Rei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7492977
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a current sensing device. The current sensing device includes, inter alia, a three-by-three (3×3) optical coupler made of polarization-maintaining (PM) fibers and thus being a PM fiber coupler; a light source and at least one photon-detector connected to a first side of the 3×3 PM fiber coupler; and a fiber coil connected to a second side of the 3×3 PM fiber coupler. The 3×3 PM fiber coupler is adapted to split an input light from the light source into first and second optical signals while maintaining their respective polarization directions; and is adapted to cause coherent interference of third and fourth optical signals, related respectively to the first and second optical signals and received from the fiber coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Inventor: Yong Huang
  • Patent number: 7492992
    Abstract: An integrated bi-directional transceiver device for multiple wavelength optical signals that has a high level of wavelength isolation at the receivers of the device and low cross-talk of light between an external laser transmitter and the receivers. A WDM planar light wave circuit (PLC) assembly combines high spatial light confinement waveguide structures and a variable thickness dielectric wavelength selective filter (WSF) on the surface of the device to reflect a first wavelength signal and to pass a second wavelength signal. Embodiments of the invention include branching waveguide structures and folded path waveguide assemblies with multiple WSF's.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Neophotonics Corporation
    Inventors: Rongchung Tyan, Hee Choon Kang, Edgar A. Mendoza, Lothar U. Kempen
  • Publication number: 20090043296
    Abstract: An instrument for photodynamic therapy applies treatment light from a dye laser, white light, and ultraviolet fluorescence excitation light from an LED onto a lesion and surrounding areas in a time-multiplexed manner. The reflected white light is analyzed in a spectrometer to determine a correction for the dynamic optical spectral properties of the patient's tissue. Light emitted by fluorescence from the lesion and the surrounding areas is analyzed in another spectrometer, and the results are corrected in a computer, using the correction. An optical switch has been developed for the instrument, using a bistable solenoid and a sled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Thomas H. Foster, William J. Cottrell, Chad Bigelow, Allan R. Oseroff
  • Patent number: 7479664
    Abstract: Fiber optic phototherapy devices include fiber optic light emitters having fiber optic end portions at one or both ends that may be separated into a plurality of groups of end portions that receive light from one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs). Lenses may be used to focus the light from one or more LEDs onto the end portions. The LEDs may be mounted to a heat sink to dissipate any excess heat generated by the LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Lumitex Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Williams
  • Patent number: 7474812
    Abstract: An optical modulator has, on a substrate having electro-optic effect, an optical waveguide including an input optical waveguide, two branching optical waveguides which branch a light beam incident to the input optical waveguide into two beams, two interaction optical waveguides which modulate a light beam phase by applying a voltage between a center electrode and ground electrodes, a multiplexing optical waveguide which multiplexes the light beams which propagate through the two interaction optical waveguides, and an output optical waveguide which is connected to the multiplexing optical waveguide through a multiplexing point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Anritsu Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Kawano, Masaya Nanami, Makoto Saito, Toru Nakahira, Yuji Sato, Seiji Uchida
  • Publication number: 20080298747
    Abstract: An optical waveguide device comprises a first under-cladding layer, a light emitting element provided on an upper surface of the first under-cladding layer and having a light emitting portion which emits light, and a core provided on the upper surface of the first under-cladding layer and having a light receiving portion which receives the light emitted from the light emitting portion of the light emitting element. The light receiving portion of the core has a generally U-shape as seen in plan, and the emitted light is projected into an opening of the generally U-shaped light receiving portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sazzadur Rahman KHAN, Kazunori MUNE
  • Patent number: 7460757
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for coupling fiber optic cables. Said device comprises at least one module, which is equipped with at least one retaining unit for retaining at least two cassettes. The invention is characterized in that: a cassette is configured with at least one coupling element; at least one strand bundle can be fixed to the module, whereby said strand bundle can be split into at least two strands comprising at least one fiber optic cable; an excess length of strand can be retained by a cassette, the fiber optic cable or cables being connected to the coupling element and the cassette together with its retained strand being detachably connected to the retaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: ADC GmbH
    Inventors: Elke Hoehne, Klaus Klein, Steffen Laurisch
  • Patent number: 7457498
    Abstract: An optical waveguide structure has a single port on one input/output side, a plurality of ports on another input/output side and an S-curve optical waveguide portion arranged on the outermost side of the waveguide structure and including a first circular arc optical waveguide portion and a second circular arc optical waveguide portion connected thereto. The waveguide portion also has a third circular arc optical waveguide portion extending from a first splitting/coupling point side in the first circular arc waveguide portion toward the plural/ports side and having a curvature inverted relative to the first circular arc optical waveguide portion. At the first splitting/coupling point, a tangential line of the first circular arc optical waveguide portion and a tangential line of the third circular arc optical waveguide portion are parallel to and spaced from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Miyadera, Rei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7450803
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an optical waveguide that reduces an excess loss caused in a curved waveguide region by a deviation of the center axis of a beam propagating mode from the center axis of the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide has its part curved, and assuming that the shortest distance from a certain point of a convex edge of the curved portion to a concave edge is a waveguide width at that point, the optical waveguide has its width progressively reduced from the maximum waveguide width in the midst of the curved portion toward the opposite ends of the curved portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Miyadera, Rei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7450788
    Abstract: An optical splitter/coupler has: a multimode waveguide having an electrooptic effect, and propagating light in a multimode; one incident waveguide propagating light in a single mode, and inputting the light to the multimode waveguide; one pair of emitting waveguides guiding-out, in a single mode, lights which have propagated-in through the multimode waveguide; at least one pair of individual electrodes provided so as to be positioned in vicinities of respective side edges on one surface of the multimode waveguide; and a ground electrode provided on another surface, wherein the multimode waveguide has a length such that 3(n+1) bright spots arise at a central portion and at both side edge portions due to incident light, the individual electrodes are provided at positions corresponding to an upstream-most one pair of the bright spots, and the emitting waveguides are connected to positions corresponding to a downstream-most one pair of the bright spots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Roshan Thapliya, Takashi Kikuchi, Shigetoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7447389
    Abstract: An optical modulator includes a signal electrode for application of modulation signals whereby light propagated over an optical waveguide is modulated, and bias electrodes for application of a bias voltage for controlling an operating point for the modulation signals. A buffer layer is provided between a substrate exhibiting electro-optical effect and the bias electrodes, but at regions where no optical waveguide is formed beneath the bias electrodes, no buffer layer is provided, and the bias electrodes are provided directly upon the substrate. This configuration enables bias voltage to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Masaki Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20080267564
    Abstract: Disclosed are an asymmetric Y-shaped optical waveguide structure and an optical transceiver using the structure. The asymmetric Y-shaped optical waveguide structure includes a main axis optical waveguide extended in a longitudinal direction; and a branch optical waveguide extended from an extension start point in the main axis optical waveguide in a longitudinal direction as much as a predetermined region and then diverged outside. The main axis optical waveguide and the branch optical waveguide have effective refractive indexes, the magnitude relation of which is reversed for optical signals having first and second wavelength range. The optical transceiver includes an asymmetric Y-shaped optical waveguide structure, an optical fiber optically coupled to the structure for transmitting/receiving of the bi-directional optical signal, a laser diode and a photodiode. Accordingly, it is possible to miniaturize the optical transceiver, reduce a packaging cost, and improve reliability of the optical transceiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Jae-Ho Han, Sang-Gil Shin, Sung-Wook Moon, Jung-Ho Choi, Moti Margalit, Daphna Bortman-Aviv, Nikolai Berkovitch, Eitan Avni
  • Publication number: 20080267565
    Abstract: The invention provides tunable delay or resonator devices in an electro optical substrate. Signals in at least one waveguide in the electro optical substrate pass through Y-junction reflectors which direct signals from one branch of the waveguide back into another branch of the waveguide. A coupled delay or resonator approximated loop is presented in an embodiment of the invention with opposing Y-junction reflectors. In other embodiments of the invention, a delay ladder is provided with selectable levels of delay from multiple outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Jianxiao Chen, Paul Kit Lai Yu, Tetsuya Kawanishi, Kaoru Higuma
  • Patent number: 7443591
    Abstract: An optical homogenizing and combining apparatus, comprises a one piece, hollow, tubular body having a first input leg, a second input leg and an output leg, each leg having a polygonal cross-section and highly reflective interior surfaces in accordance with an embodiment. The body has a shape corresponding to first and second bent tubes, the tubes being truncated along a plane and joined at a junction lying in the plane. The a first end of the first tube defines the first input leg, a first end of the second tube defines the second input leg, and a second end of the first tube and a second end of the second tube define the output leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Frank T. Cianciotto, George H. Butler, III
  • Patent number: 7444050
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a curved optical waveguide which is free of any axis-deviation structure in the middle of the waveguide and which has a sigmoidal core shape, wherein the curvature thereof at one end is zero and the curvature thereof at the other end is finite (>0) and the use of such a curved optical waveguide permits the reduction of optical loss at the connected portions to the lowest possible level even when it is applied to, for instance, an optical splitter or a directional coupler and the curved optical waveguide of the present invention can provide an optical waveguide which never requires the use of any offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Miyadera, Rei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7433561
    Abstract: An all-optical device for wavelength conversion, reshaping, modulating, and regenerating. The device includes a splitting device having first, second, third, and fourth terminals and a nonlinear element. The third and fourth terminals are associated with an optical loop including the nonlinear element when the nonlinear element is displaced from the mid-point of the optical loop. The splitting device is arranged to receive a modulated signal from one of the first and second terminals and a continuous beam from one of the first and second terminals to generate a patterned signal based on the continuous beam at one of the first and second terminals when the pattern of the patterned signal is inverted with respect to the pattern of the modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Inventor: Arie Shahar
  • Patent number: 7428356
    Abstract: A polygonal shape inverted “Y” optical beam splitter for splitting input light into two, equal intensity, homogenous light beams. A one-piece hollow tubular body is provided having a first, second, and third leg. Each leg has a polygonal cross-section and a highly reflective interior surface. The first leg is configured to receive an input light beam having an intensity and spectral content that is reflected within the first leg to provide a first leg output light beam. The first leg output light beam is split and reflected into a second and third leg to provide, after reflection in the second leg and the third leg, a second leg and third leg output light beam. Each of the second leg and third leg output light beam has a homogeneous top hat profile and an intensity equal to one half of the intensity of the input light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Frank T. P. Cianciotto