Alcatel

Alcatel Lucent

Avanex Corporation

Alexandre Shen

Fabrice Devaux

Guang-Hua Duan

Tolga Tekin

Jean-Guy Provost

Michael Schlak

Denis Penninckx

Bernd Sartorius

Patrick Brindel

Denis Leclerc

Jean-Yves Emery

Paul Salet

Christophe Starck

Philippe Pagnod-Rossiaux

Nabil Sahri

St&eacute;phanie Barre

Cristopher Janz

A system for optical linear sampling and coherent detection of an optical signal OS comprises a source emitting a pulsed optical signal SP and an optical coupler that splits the pulsed optical signal SP into two replicas, the first replica of the pulsed optical signal SP is sent to a first optical hybrid circuit and the second replica of the pulsed optical signal SP is send to a second optical hybrid circuit, a source emitting an optical signal OS and optical coupler that splits the incoming optical signal OS into two replicas, the first replica of the incoming optical signal OS is sent to the first optical hybrid circuit and the second replica of the incoming optical signal OS is sent to a wavelength recovery device WVLR, whose output is a continuous-waveform optical signal CW at the central wavelength of the incoming optical signal OS, which sends it to the second optical hybrid circuit. such that the optical signal OS is sampled within the first hybrid circuit and the continuous waveform optical signal CW is sampled in the second hybrid circuit, and a device BDADC comprising balanced photodectors detecting optical signals at the output of the two optical hybrid circuits and an analog/digital converter ADC.

System for optical linear sampling and coherent detection of an optical signal

An photonic device, comprising one section of a material which is different from the material of another section such that the two sections present different optical birefringent index values. This causes a first set of polarization modes to move in a spectral space with a different velocity than a second set of polarization modes. A bias current, or voltage, is used for controlling the overall birefringence effect in the device. The biasing for controlling the birefringence effect is performed such the TE modes and the TM modes of the device are made to coincide in their respective spectral position. Thus the device is made insensitive, or presents substantially reduced sensitivity, to the polarization of any incoming optical signal.

Method of and photonic device for eliminating or substantially reducing sensitivity to polarization of an injected optical signal and method of manufacturing such photonic device

The field of the invention is that of devices for regenerating optical signals. It applies more particularly to systems for high-throughput long distance transmission by optical fibres of digital data. While propagating, optical signals necessarily experience attenuation and degradation of their signal/noise ratio. To compensate for these degradations, wholly-optical regeneration devices are generally used. The object of the invention is to ensure regeneration which in large part eliminates noise, without using auxiliary optical devices. This regeneration is ensured by a structure with saturable optical absorbent comprising an optical cavity of thickness L comprising at least one layer of active material of Henry factor &#x3b1;and of maximum absorption variation &#x394;&#x3b1; such that the thickness L equals about 2&#x3c0;/(&#x3b1;, &#x394;&#x3b1;).

Structure with saturable optical absorbent for device for regenerating optical signals

The invention relates to a saturable light absorber adapted to receive different focused spectral components, wherein the structure of said saturable light absorber comprises microcavities integrated into a substrate and each associated with a respective one of said spectral components, each microcavity comprising a saturable absorber layer delimited by a top reflector and a bottom reflector and being disposed and having dimensions such that it receives only the focused spectral component associated with it.

Saturable light absorber structure and a device incorporating the structure for regenerating a wavelength division multiplexed signal

For regenerating a binary optical signal (s, s) a monolithic semiconductor component () comprises: The saturable absorber structure has a dimension along the first guide axis greater than its dimension along the second guide axis. The first and second waveguides respectively inject an optical clock signal (c) and the binary optical signal (s, s). Application to optical transmission systems for regenerating signals in accordance with two different regeneration regimes.

Monolithic semiconductor component for regenerating optical signals

A saturable optical absorber component is made of an inhomogeneous absorption material including a plurality of sets of quantum boxes formed in stacked layers. The sizes of the quantum boxes of each set define an absorption wavelength associated with the set.

Saturable optical absorber, and an application thereof to regenerating a wavelength division multiplexed signal

Known optical power equalizers receive an optical main input signal modulating between high and low input power levels. The optical power equalizers emit an equalized optical main output signal modulating between high and low output power levels, where at least one of the two sets of high and low power levels is equalized to one high or one low output power level. Such devices can comprise at least one gain-clamped semiconductor optical amplifier that operates about its saturation range. The optical power equalizer receives an amplifier input signal, which has one or more modulated portions, and emits a modulated amplifier output signal. According to the invention the dependence of the gain-clamped semiconductor optical amplifier's gain on the power of the amplifier input signal is adjusted such that the high input power levels of the amplifier input signal are equalized into the one high output power level of the amplifier output signal.

Optical power equalizer

The present invention is a device for converting an RZ signal into a NRZ signal which contains an optical bistable device ( ), where an output level of this device passing from a low level to a high level when an input power level crosses in an upward direction a first threshold, and returning to a low level when an input level crosses in a downward direction a second threshold below the first, the output ( ) of the bistable ( ) carrying the NRZ signal, and a device ( ) for converting the RZ signal into a control signal of an output logic level of the optical bistable device ( ) receiving the RZ signal, and delivering the control signal of the optical bistable device ( ), this signal having a level above the first threshold when the RZ signal passes to and which becomes lower at the second threshold only if the RZ signal passes to and stays there for more than one bit time.

Optical signal converter from RZ format to NRZ format

An optical device for the differentiation of a first optical signal and an optical signal lagging behind the first, in which the differentiation is represented by a signal carried by a continuous wave passing through the two arms of an interferometer including media with an index that depends on the optical power passing through them. The delayed signal is the first signal fed back to one of the arms through a delay.

Optical differentiation device

Optical NRZ-RZ format converter

In a device for regenerating a wavelength-division multiplex optical signal, the optical signal to be regenerated comes from an optical fiber and is injected back into the same optical fiber or into another fiber. The device comprises at least one dispersive medium for receiving the wavelength-division multiplex signal and emitting a corresponding dispersed wave into a free space and a saturable absorber which receives the dispersed wave and transmits a corresponding regenerated wave.

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Paris, France

Alexandre Shen