Hewlett-packard Company

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Avago Technologies General IP (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Avago Technologies Fiber IP (singapore) Pte. Ltd

Avago Technologies General IP Pte, Ltd.

Spi Lasers UK Limited

Avago Technologies Fiber IP Pte Ltd.

Andrew Thomas Harker

Christopher Anthony Park

Richard Mark Ash

Malcolm Paul Varnham

Simon Meadowcroft

Mikhail Nickolaos Zervas

Paul Marshall Charles

Fabio Ghiringhelli

Michael Fake

Jerry Crouch

Apparatus for combining laser radiation ()which apparatus comprises a seed laser (), a splitter (), a plurality of amplifier chains (), a reference amplifier chain (), detection means (). demodulator means (), and phase control means (), wherein each of the amplifier chains () comprises at least one optical amplifier (), optical radiation () emitted from the seed laser () is split into the plurality of amplifier chains () by the splitter (). amplified by the plurality of amplifier chains (), interfered, detected by the detection means (), demodulated by the demodulator means (), and a signal () indicative of path length imbalance () fed back to the phase control means (), and wherein the apparatus is characterized in that the output power emitted by each amplifier chain () is at least 50 W, the bandwidth () of the seed laser () is at least 1 GHz, and the path length difference () between each amplifier chain () and the reference amplifier chain () is less than the coherence length () of the seed laser ().

Apparatus for combining laser radiation

A wavelength of an optical source is monitored by first and second adjacent detectors on a common base. A bulk reflective component has first and second partially reflective surfaces that respectively direct first and second portions of energy from the source to the first and second detectors. A wavelength discriminator is positioned between the first detector and first surface. An optical isolator downstream of the reflective component prevents radiation from the source and exiting the component from being coupled to the detectors and back to the source.

Wavelength monitoring method and apparatus and method of making same

A laser located within a casing of an optoelectronic module is operated by heating the laser to an operating temperature at or above the maximum specified, operating temperature of the module casing using a heater device within the module, the laser having operating characteristics at its operating temperature that are sufficient for its required function. The heater device can be separated from the module casing by an insulating layer or by a thermal switch. The thermal switch can include a droplet of thermally conductive fluid displaceable between a first position where it provides a low thermal impedance path between the heater device and the module casing and a second position wherein a high thermal impedance path is provided between the heater device and the module casing.

Optoelectronic module and a thermal switch therefor

An optoelectronic assembly () includes a laser () for emitting light along a main optical path. Beam splitters () split a proportion of light from the main optical path and the split light is guided by optical light guides () to a photodiode array (). The light guides () are mouldable and substantially rigid and can be co fabricated as a single assembly including fiducials to facilitate positioning on a substrate () of the assembly (). By having the array () adjacent the periphery of the substrate (), wirebonds () need only be provided directly from the array () to a feed-through (), and electrical tracks on the substrate and ceramic blocks for mounting the photodiodes are eliminated, as is individual placement of the ceramic blocks on the substrate.

Optoelectronic assembly

The slope efficiency of a laser diode is determined by temporarily adjusting a current applied to the laser and measuring a corresponding change in the average output power. Such prior art techniques require the laser modulation current average to be small to avoid impairment of transmission of data by the laser diode. An optical attenuator opposite an output of a laser diode resolves this problem by maintaining the average power emitted by the laser diode within acceptable operating limits.

Slope efficiency measurement apparatus for a laser device and method therefor

An optical device having a photonic band gap element operative such that the refractive index can be varied through application of an electrical signal. This enables the manufacture of tuneable lasers, optical add/drop multiplexers and tuneable optical wavelength converters.

Wavelength tuneable optical device

The present invention relates to a modulated light source, in particular for use as part of an opto-electronic communication network. The modulated light source has a laser and an external electro-optic modulator for modulating the intensity of light produced by the laser. A temperature sensor senses the temperature of the laser and the modulator. A control circuit connected to the temperature sensor adjusts the bias on the modulator so that the band edge of the modulator follows the changes in wavelength of the laser as the laser warms up during operation. This avoids the need for a cooling element to keep the temperature of the laser constant.

Light modulation

An optical device includes an optical waveguide with a block that is fusion spliced to one end. The block has a refractive index approximately equal to the effective refractive index of the waveguide and is of such a length that substantially all the light exiting the waveguide propagates directly to the end of the block remote from the waveguide.

Optical device and method of making the same

Embodiments of the present invention provide optical fibre microlenses having anamorphic focusing means which have a major axis which is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical fibre. In particular, a wedge-shaped optical fibre microlens whose tip is skewed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the optical fibre, is described. Such optical fibre microlenses find particular application in coupling light from semiconductor lasers having asymmetrical output radiation patterns, since they increase the coupling efficiency and reduce the level of back reflection from the microlens to the laser. This is of particular importance for semiconductor lasers used to pump optical fibre amplifiers.

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Ipswich, United Kingdom

Andrew Thomas Harker