Corning Glass Works

Corning Incorporated

Ciba Corning Diagnostics Corp.

Donald B Keck

Daniel Aloysius Nolan

Robert Adam Modavis

William James Miller

Venkata Adiseshaiah Bhagavatula

Mark A Newhouse

Michael G Blankenship

George Edward Berkey

David L Weidman

Yanming Liu

Peter C Jones

Alan J Morrow

Donald R Lyons

Nicholas Francis Borrelli

Alan Frank Evans

David L Morse

Paul Arthur Sachenik

Walter F Love

Peter C Schultz

Arnab Sarkar

Charles W Deneka

An N-port optical wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer includes two evanescent wave couplers connected by N optical paths. Each of the optical paths includes wavelength-selecting elements that are used to select specific wavelengths of light. Light signals composed of N wavelengths of light introduced to an exterior port in one of the couplers are split substantially equally among all the optical paths within the coupler, so that each optical path exiting the coupler includes light of all the wavelengths initially introduced to the coupler. The wavelength selecting elements disposed on each optical path are situated to direct the light in a manner such that light of only the selected wavelengths interferes constructively at a given exterior coupler port and other wavelengths interfere destructively. Consequently, optical signals composed of N wavelengths may be demultiplexed such that N optical paths carry light having one wavelength. Conversely, N optical paths carrying light signals having only one wavelength can be multiplexed into a signal having wavelengths .lambda..sub.1, .lambda..sub.2, . . . .lambda..sub.N. The multiplexed signal is then coupled into up to M+O exterior ports.

N-port reconfigurable DWDM multiplexer and demultiplexer

A Mach-Zehnder filter is provided with a strongly aperiodic transfer function including a broad, sharply defined pass band. The filter can be used in conjunction with optical amplifiers.

Aperiodic Mach-Zehnder optical filters

A single-mode optical waveguide fiber designed to limit power penalty due to four wave mixing and a method of making the waveguide is disclosed. Variations in properties, e.g., radius or refractive index, of the waveguide fiber core provide a total dispersion which varies along the length of the waveguide. The algebraic sum of products of length times total dispersion is controlled to a pre-selected value for each waveguide fiber which makes up a system link Proper choice of total dispersion variation magnitude and sub-length results in a system link wherein a signal travels only short distances in waveguide portions having total dispersion near zero. However, the variation of the total dispersion provides a system link which has a pre-selected dispersive effect on the signal over a selected wavelength range. The dispersive effect on the signal can be chosen to be essentially zero. A number of techniques for fabricating DM fiber are also disclosed.

Dispersion managed optical waveguide

Periodic mach-zehnder optical filters

A single-mode optical waveguide fiber designed to limit power penalty due to four wave mixing and a method of making the waveguide is disclosed. Variations in properties, e.g., radius or refractive index, of the waveguide fiber core provide a total dispersion which varies along the length of the waveguide. The algebraic sum of products of length times total dispersion is controlled to a pre-selected value for each waveguide fiber which makes up a system link. Proper choice of total dispersion variation magnitude and sub-length results in a system link wherein a signal travels only short distances in waveguide portions having total dispersion near zero. However, the variation of the total dispersion provides a system link which has a pre-selected dispersive effect on the signal over a selected wavelength range. The dispersive effect on the signal can be chosen to be essentially zero. A number of techniques for fabricating DM fiber are also disclosed.

Fiber Bragg gratings of low reflectivity are given a squared reflectivity function in the form of a tophat configuration having a flat top and lacking undesirable side lobes. Such a reflectivity function for a fiber Bragg grating is achieved by interfering a diffracted beam with a plane wavefront beam so as to impose a sinc function on the resulting interference pattern that imprints the grating on an optical fiber.

Low reflectivity fiber bragg grating with rectangular reflection function

An M.times.O multiplex/demultiplex device is disclosed. An M.times.N coupler is connected to an N.times.O coupler by phase shifting means. The phase shifting means provide N paths between the couplers, each path having an optical path length different from every other optical path length. The coupling region of the M.times.N coupler must provide for substantially uniform division of light power among the coupler branches when M are the launch ports. Similarly, the coupling region of the N.times.O coupler must provide for substantially uniform division of light power among the coupler branches when O are the launch ports. A preferred embodiment includes two fused waveguide fiber couplers with dissimilar waveguide fibers used as the phase shifting means.

MxO multiplex demultiplex component

A combination of dispersion flattened single mode optical waveguide fiber and soliton signal pulses yields an optimum telecommunication system capacity. The dispersion flattened fiber serves to relax tolerances on soliton center wavelength and intensity. In addition, the inventive combination facilitates the design and use of long haul systems using optical amplifiers.

Solitons in dispersion flattened waveguide

The invention features an optical two-way transmission-receiver communications system utilizing a coaxial coupler having a ring waveguide and a core waveguide. A surface of an integrated source/ring detector substrate is positioned adjacent said coaxial coupler endface. A ring detector on the substrate, which receives light transmissions from the ring waveguide, has an annular opening therein. A light source disposed on the substrate within the annular opening in the ring detector directs light transmissions to the core waveguide of the coaxial coupler. An alignment device positions the substrate with respect to the coaxial coupler so that the light source and detector are respectively aligned with the coaxial coupler core and ring waveguides.

Coaxial coupler with integrated source/ring detector

A 1.times.N fiber optic switch is disclosed for selectively coupling light from a first fiber to any one of a plurality of output fibers. The switch includes a coupler in which the first optical fiber and the plurality of optical fibers are elongated in a narrowed coupling region. The coupling region can be bent in various directions to cause the radius of curvature of the input fiber to differ from that of at least one of the output fibers, whereby light propagating in the input fiber can be coupled to only one of the output fibers or to more than one of those fibers.

Optical fiber bendable coupler/switch device

A low loss fiber optic coupler is fabricated by forming a coupler preform having a plurality of spaced glass cores extending longitudinally through a matrix of glass having a refractive index lower than that of the cores. The preform is heated and stretched to form a glass rod which is then severed into a plurality of units. Heat is applied to the central region of each unit while the ends of the unit are pulled apart to elongate and taper inwardly the heated central region, whereby the cores of the unit are more closely spaced and are of smaller diameter at the central region than they are at the ends of the unit. The unit is then provided with a plurality of optical fibers, one of which extends from each of the cores at the endfaces of the unit. A preferred method of providing the optical fibers involves forming the coupler preform of a matrix glass that is easily dissolved in a solvent. Each of the fiber cores within the matrix is surrounded by a layer of cladding glass that is relatively resistant to dissolving by the solvent. When an end of the unit is immersed in the solvent, the matrix glass dissolves, thereby leaving the unit cores and surrounding solvent-resistant cladding glass protruding from the newly formed endface of the unit.

Optic coupler

The present invention relates to novel dielectric waveguide (i.e., fiber optic) sensors for use in spectrophotometric assays of analytes in fluids. More particularly, the use of these sensors in immunoassays is disclosed.

Dielectric waveguide sensors and their use in immunoassays

Method of making low loss fiber optic coupler

A method of preparing an optical device for alignment with a light beam emitter or receiver. The optical device is formed of a first glass that is resistant to dissolving in a given solvent. Extending through the device is an optical waveguide at least the cladding of which is soluble in the given solvent. At least one end of the device is immersed in the solvent to dissolve the end portion of the fiber and form a well. An optical fiber is inserted into the well where it is aligned with the fiber extending through the device.

Optical fiber-device interconnection and method

A low loss fiber optic coupler is fabricated by forming a coupler preform having a plurality of spaced glass cores extending longitudinally through a matrix of glass having a refractive index lower than that of the cores. The coupler preform is heated and stretched by first pulling means to form a glass rod which is drawn by second pulling means past an intermittant source of localized heat. When the localized heat source is turned on, the second pulling means draws the rod downwardly at a rate faster than the first pulling means. Since the rod is softened by the localized heat source, a necked-down coupling region is formed. The rod is severed to form a plurality of coupler units. When an end of a unit is immersed in acid, the matrix glass dissolves, thereby leaving the unit cores and surrounding etch-resistant cladding glass protruding from the newly formed endface of the unit.

Growing community of inventors

Big Flats, NY, United States of America

Donald B Keck