Institut National D'optique

Sdl Inc.

Alain Chandonnet

Yves Painchaud

Gilles Larose

Jocelyn Lauzon

Pierre Galarneau

Pierre Langlois

Claude Pare

Simon Thibault

Robert Larose

Carl Paquet

Michel Fortin

Andre Fougeres

An apparatus and method for analyzing a fluid with particle analytes, where the fluid is fed through a passageway within an optical fiber and excitation light is guided by the optical fiber across the passageway and intersects the fluid therein. The optical core is made multimode and is adapted to shape the excitation light with a uniform spatial illumination over a cross-section of the optical core and the passageway is configured relative to the optical core such that the particle analytes are exposed to substantially equal excitation light while circulating in the passageway.

Flow cytometry analysis across optical fiber

The present invention concerns a linear wavelength DWDM that is compact and is adapted for use with fibre ribbons and which compensates for the non-linear relationship between equally spectrally spaced wavelengths and physically spaced wavelengths once they have been diffracted. The device includes a first and second port in an optically transmissive medium. The ports are in optical communication with each other through a first and second mirror and a diffraction grating. Preferably, the first mirror is located opposite the first port, and is off-axis with respect to the optical axis. The diffraction grating is located on the same side as the input port, and is in optical communication with the first mirror. The second mirror is located on the same side as the first mirror and is in optical communication with the diffraction grating. The output port is slightly off-axis with respect to the optical axis of the second mirror and is in optical communication therewith. The device compensates for the non-linear relationship between equally spectrally spaced wavelengths and physically spaced wavelengths once they have been diffracted.

Linear wavelength DWDM

A laser to produce pulses of light having predetermined spectral shapes, comprising a waveguide, an optical pump source, a gain medium to produce seed radiation, and a modulator and an array of Bragg gratings to modify the properties of the seed radiation. Once generated by the gain medium, the seed radiation propagates in the waveguide where it is first pulsed by the modulator. The resulting pulses are then selectively reflected by the Bragg gratings, which separates different spectral components of the reflected beam. This reflected beam then travels back to the modulator, which is timed to let only the desired spectral components go through. In this manner the laser is self-seeded and allows spectrum and wavelength selection from pulse to pulse.

Wavelength sliced self-seeded pulsed laser

A method for spatially controlling the period and amplitude of Bragg filters in an optical medium having a longitudinal axis that is sensitive to at least some wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. A phase mask of period .LAMBDA. is laid close to the optical medium at an angle .alpha. with respect to the longitudinal axis of the optical medium. A single beam of electromagnetic radiation is directed at an incidence angle .phi. with respect to normal incidence on the phase mask so that the radiation is diffracted, resulting in an interference pattern having a period P impinged into the optical medium so that the period P of the interference pattern may be altered by changing the incidence angle .phi. or the angle .alpha.. This method is simpler, more flexible and more suitable for mass production than existing methods.

Method for spatially controlling the period and amplitude of BRAGG

A method for spatially controlling the period and amplitude of Bragg filters in an optical medium having a longitudinal axis that is sensitive to at least some wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. A phase mask of period .LAMBDA. is laid close to the optical medium at an angle .alpha. with respect to the longitudinal axis of the optical medium. A single beam of electromagnetic radiation is directed at an incidence angle .phi. with respect to normal incidence on the phase mask so that the radiation is diffracted, resulting in an interference pattern having a period P impinged into the optical medium so that the period P of the interference pattern may be altered by changing the incidence angle .phi. or the angle .alpha. . This method is simpler, more flexible and more suitable for mass production than existing methods.

Method for spatially controlling the period and amplitude of Bragg

An optical device for modulating or interacting with radiation guided and propagating along an optical longitudinal axis of an optical waveguide, such as, an optical fiber, has a different directional geometry compared to conventionally comparable devices such as, for example, plasmon or planar surface modulators for optical fibers. The geometry includes a nonlinear, electro-optic medium formed between two spatially disposed electrodes. The medium/electrode sandwich is aligned along the waveguide longitudinal propagating axis and extends in a radial direction from the optical waveguide core with the inner end of the medium in spatial proximity to the waveguide core for evanescent coupling with the radiation field propagating in the waveguide. An applied electric field to the spatially disposed electrodes varies the refractive index of the electro-optic medium from just below the effective refractive index of the waveguide to just above the effective refractive index waveguide to induce a lossy condition on the propagating radiation. Modulation of the applied electric field will bring about intensity modulation of the propagating radiation.

Optical device employing edge-coupled waveguide geometry

A length of an optical fiber having a core and a surrounding cladding is held by a block with a portion of said length having substantially all of its cladding removed on one side of the portion and being exposed, and an index overlay perturbation pad is mounted near and substantially parallel to the portion. A translator moves the pad between a first position in which the pad is sufficiently remote from the portion to allow total internal reflection in the portion and a second position in which the pad is sufficiently close to the portion to allow light to escape from the core. The pad may be made of a metal for polarized modulation, or of a dielectric for unpolarized modulation. The optical switch provides very fast switching for a O-switched fiber laser.

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Cap-Rouge, Canada

Alain Chandonnet