Molecular Optoelectronics Corporation

Brian L Lawrence

Kevin John McCallion

Gregory A Wagoner

Michael H Shimazu

Kwok Pong Chan

Paul R Quantock

John L Schulze

A method in which a separate preformed optical material is suitably sized for easy handling, manipulation, and fabrication into a waveguide having a core (formed from the optical material) having transverse cross-sectional dimensions on the order of only tens of microns. The method may include a plurality of mechanical steps, e.g., lapping, polishing, and/or dicing, and bonding steps, e.g., attaching with adhesives. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing an optical material, thinning and polishing the optical material to form a core comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending surfaces, providing a plurality of support substrates, and attaching the plurality of support substrates to the longitudinally extending surfaces of the core. The plurality of support substrates may be attached to the plurality of longitudinally extending surfaces of the optical material with an adhesive. The optical material may include a high refractive index, and the plurality of support substrates and/or the adhesive may include a low refractive index.

Method for fabricating an optical waveguide

An optical waveguide, radiation emitting device employing the same, and process for fabricating the radiation emitting device are provided. The optical waveguide has a core fabricated of a first material with a first index of refraction and cladding surrounding the core fabricated of a second material with a second index of refraction. The core is an active material which emits radiation at a desired wavelength when pumped with radiation of a predetermined wavelength, and the first material and second material are dissimilar materials, having been separately fabricated and subsequently physically assembled as the waveguide.

Optical waveguide with dissimilar core and cladding materials, and light emitting device employing the same

An optical amplifier with integrated optical waveguide, pump source and other, optional components for amplifying an input optical signal coupled from a fiber optic. The amplifier includes a housing having these components mounted therein, and appropriate optics for coupling the input and output optical signals to and from the appropriate ports, and for carrying an optical pump signal from its source to the waveguide. The optical waveguide disclosed is a channel waveguide amplification chip, having a relatively small size; and the pump source disclosed is a laser diode capable of generating the optical pump signal internal to the housing with only electrical (e.g., power) signals applied thereto from outside of the housing. Other optional components may be provided for cooperative optical processing in the amplifier housing. The disclosed optical amplifier offers size and cost advantages over other known systems.

Compact optical amplifier with integrated optical waveguide and pump source

Ring and linear cavity, fiber optic laser systems are disclosed, employing non-invasive fiber optic amplification technology. A channel overlay waveguide is employed for amplification of optical energy evanescently coupled to the overlay waveguide from the fiber optic. One of two amplification methods can be employed. The first involves inducing stimulated emission with the overlay waveguide and the second uses a second order, non-linear frequency conversion to down-convert a high-power, short-wavelength pump signal into the waveguide to amplify the optical energy coupled thereto. Amplification of optical energy in the channel overlay waveguide can be established within a single beat length of evanescent removal to evanescent return of the optical energy to the fiber optic. Intra-cavity elements can be employed to effect, e.g., wavelength selection, optical isolation, or modulation of the resultant, optical signal propagating in the fiber optic.

Fiber optic lasers employing fiber optic amplifiers

An optical channel waveguide amplifier and fabrication process are provided for an optical communications system. The amplifier employs an optical waveguide having a core of active material exhibiting optical fluorescence when stimulated. The core has a propagation axis extending from an input surface to an output surface. The input surface intersects the propagation axis at a non-orthogonal angle (e.g., 45&deg;). A cladding at least partially surrounds the core, and a coating is provided over the angled input surface of the core. The coating is anti-reflective of the optical signal, input at a predetermined signal wavelength, and is highly reflective of the pump, input at a predetermined pump wavelength. A prism, index-matched to the core, is secured to the angled face of the optical waveguide so that the input signal may be focused into the core through the prism and the coating collinearly with the axis of propagation, while the pump is reflected into the core off the coating at the angled input surface from an angle to the axis of propagation. The optical signal undergoes amplification within the core by stimulated emissions of the active material driven by the pump.

Optical channel waveguide amplifier

Fiber optic communication links are disclosed, employing non-invasive fiber optic amplification technology. An amplifier stage is provided having a plurality of signal paths into which differing wavelength windows of an input optical signal are demultiplexed. At least one of the paths (e.g., 1310 nm) includes a fiber optic and an associated fiber optic amplifier. A channel overlay waveguide is employed for amplification of optical energy evanescently coupled to the overlay waveguide from the fiber optic. One of two amplification methods can be employed. The first involves inducing stimulated emission with the overlay waveguide and the second uses a second order, non-linear frequency conversion to down-convert a high-power, short-wavelength pump signal into the waveguide to amplify the optical energy coupled thereto. Amplification of optical energy in the channel overlay waveguide can be established within a single beat length of evanescent removal to evanescent return of the optical energy to the fiber optic. Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) of the 1550 nm and 1310 nm wavelength windows is therefore provided over a single fiber optic.

Multiple window dense wavelength divison multiplexed communications link with optical amplification and dispersion compensation

Optical waveguides prepared by irradiating selected regions of positive photochromic polymeric materials with actinic radiation are disclosed. The photochromic materials undergo an irreversible photochemical change which results in an increase in the refractive index of light-exposed regions. In addition, the materials exhibit negligible second-order polarizability prior to exposure and excellent nonlinear optical properties after exposure and polarization. Thus, the exposed regions are particularly useful as the core in active waveguides for use in second-order nonlinear optical applications, as well as the core in passive waveguides. In addition, a simple two step process is disclosed for forming optical waveguides from the positive photochromic polymers. Optical structures, such as optical integrated circuits, and optical devices which incorporate the waveguides are also disclosed. The optical devices may be used as optical modulators, filters, attenuators, amplifiers, frequency converters, and electric field sensors, as well as in other nonlinear optical applications.

Organic photochromic compositions and method for fabrication of polymer waveguides

An optical waveguide, radiation emitting device employing the same, and process for fabricating the radiation emitting device are provided. The optical waveguide has a core fabricated of a first material with a first index of refraction and cladding surrounding the core fabricated of a second material with a second index of refraction. The core is an active material which emits radiation at a desired wavelength when pumped with radiation of a predetermined wavelength, and the first material and second material are dissimilar materials, having been separately fabricated and subsequently physically assembled as the waveguide. The light emitting device employing the optical waveguide is configured either as an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source or laser source employing appropriate reflective materials at the ends of the optical waveguide.

Optical waveguide with dissimilar core and cladding materials, and light

Organic photochromic compositions and method for fabrication of polymer

A side-polished fiber/overlay waveguide architecture and process for non-invasively implementing an optical amplifier are provided for an optical communications system. A 'channel' overlay waveguide is employed to constrain for amplification optical energy evanescently coupled to the overlay waveguide from the side-polished optical fiber. One of two amplification methods can be employed. The first involves inducing stimulated emission with the overlay waveguide and the second uses a second order, non-linear frequency conversion to down-convert a high-power, short-wavelength pump signal into the waveguide to amplify the optical energy coupled thereto. Amplification of optical energy in the channel overlay waveguide can be established within a single beat length of evanescent removal to evanescent return of the optical energy to the side-polished fiber optic.

Optical amplifier and process for amplifying an optical signal

A compound waveguide device having a channel waveguide in optical proximity to an elongate waveguide propagating an optical signal therein is disclosed. The channel waveguide includes a coupling surface through which optical energy is evanescently coupled to or from the optical signal propagating in the elongate waveguide. The channel waveguide is shaped to confine distribution of the optical energy therein along axes transverse to the axis of propagation of the optical energy. Transverse diffraction of the optical energy within the channel waveguide is thereby limited. In one embodiment, the elongate waveguide is a side-polished fiber optic waveguide. Electro-optic control of the compound waveguide is disclosed, as are bandstop, bandpass and detection configurations thereof.

Compound optical waveguide and filter applications thereof

A side-polished fiber/overlay waveguide architecture and process for non-invasively implementing an optical amplifier are provided for an optical communications system. A 'channel' overlay waveguide is employed to constrain for amplification optical energy evanescently coupled to the overlay waveguide from the side-polished optical fiber. The overlay waveguide exhibits a non-linear response of second order, and non-linear frequency conversion is employed to down-convert a high-power, short-wavelength pump signal into the waveguide to amplify the optical energy coupled thereto. The channel overlay waveguide is dimensioned to allow for phase matching between highest order modes of the optical signal within the side-polished fiber optic and the pump signal provided to the channel overlay waveguide. A low-index matching layer is disposed between the channel overlay waveguide and the side-polished fiber optic to facilitate phase matching of the propagation modes. Amplification of optical energy in the channel overlay waveguide is established within a single beat length of evanescent removal to evanescent return of the optical energy to the side-polished fiber optic.

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Watervliet, NY, United States of America

Brian L Lawrence