Dicon Fiberoptics, Inc.

David Polinsky

Ho-Shang Lee

Benedict Costello

Feng Ye

Wen-Herng Su

Roe Hemenway

Gerry Pesavento

George C Chen

The optical hybrid device includes input optical fiber(s), output optical fiber(s), a lens, a broadband or passband filter, a movable mirror, and an actuator operative to move the mirror or the filter. Depending on a voltage applied to the actuator, the actuator selectively sets the mirror or filter to each of a plurality of positions, so that selected portion(s) of radiation from one or more input beams carried by the input optical fiber(s) are conveyed to the output optical fiber(s); whereby the device performs two or more of the functions of wavelength division multiplexing or demultiplexing, attenuation, switching, filtering and tapping functions.

Hybrid opto-mechanical component

A distributed matrix switch comprises a number of collimators each comprising a ferrule and a GRIN lens. A partially reflective coating is provided at the GRIN lens surface to pass a portion of an incoming light beam and to reflect the remainder. If the reflected portion is conveyed by means of an optical path to another collimators of similar construction, selected percentages of an incoming beam may be distributed along two or more optical paths. A receiving channel is then moved to different positions for receiving the portion of the light that is passed by one of the collimators to accomplish switching.

Switch employing partially reflective coating

In order to tune the frequencies of radiation sources, a frequency locker is provided having equally spaced periodic frequencies with a spectral range substantially equal to the frequency spacing of a plurality of radiation sources with equally spaced apart frequencies. The periodic frequencies of the locker are slightly offset from those of the radiation sources. Radiation from each of the sources is passed through the locker and the radiation passed by the locker is detected and used to adjust the frequencies of the sources in order to tune the sources. The frequency locker includes an etalon with dimensions accurate to 0.5 microns or better. The dimension of the etalon may be controlled by controlling the thickness of spacers for maintaining vacuum or air gaps where the dimensions may be altered by thin film deposition and etching techniques. The optical path length of the etalon may also be changed by altering the angle of incidence of an incoming beam with the reflective surfaces of the etalon.

Frequency sorter, and frequency locker for monitoring frequency shift of

A demultiplexer employs collimators for directing light of different wavelengths towards a filter so that light of one wavelength may be passed while reflecting light of other wavelengths. Light of the wavelengths that are passed or reflected may again be directed towards the same or different filter for further demultiplexing. The filter used has a characteristic wavelength band that varies with the angle of incidence to the filter. The same types of filter may be used for multiplexing. An input beam is passed through a filter at an angle of incidence at which light of a different wavelength would be reflected. Thus two input beams carrying such two wavelengths are directed towards the same location of the filter on opposite sides of the filter so that the reflected light of one wavelength will emerge as one beam with light of the other wavelength that passes through the filter. The emerging beam is then collected to multiplex light of the two wavelengths. This process can be repeated to multiplex light of a plurality of wavelengths.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

David Polinsky