Agere Systems Guardian Corp.

Triquint Technology Holding Co.

Agere Systems Optoelectronics Guardian Corp.

Gail Ann Bogert

Ernest Eisenhardt Bergmann

A method and apparatus may be used to determine the wavelength of an input optical signal. The wavelength of an input optical signal may be determined by dividing the input optical signal into a plurality of individual optical signals and inducing the individual optical signals to interfere with each other to form a plurality of output optical signals, such that the powers of the output optical signals have a ripple dependence on the wavelength of the input optical signal. The peak amplitude of each of the powers depends monotonically on the wavelength of the input optical signal over a range of wavelengths to be monitored for said input optical signal. A plurality of electrical output signals may be produced from the output optical signals, each electrical output signal corresponding to the power of each output optical signal. The electrical output signals may then be compared to a predetermined set of signal values in order to determine the wavelength of the input optical signal. A monitor employing this method may easily be incorporated into a telecommunications system.

Optical waveguide based power and wavelength monitor

A planar waveguide monitor is shown for determining the wavelength and power of component optical signals of a multiplexed optical signal. The monitor includes an optical waveguide router similar to a Dragone router with at least twice as many output waveguides as the number of component optical signals. An array of optical detectors is disposed to detect output optical signals from the output waveguides. The optical detectors produce a plurality of electrical output signals corresponding to the power of each detected output optical signal. The monitor includes a programmable computer to compare the electrical output signals to a predetermined set of output responses. The power and wavelength of each component optical signal of the multiplexed optical signal may be determined from this comparison.

Waveguide based component optical signal power and wavelength detector

An optical apparatus for multiplexing a plurality of optical signals of different wavelengths to provide a multiplexed output optical signal. A plurality of input waveguides receive the plurality of optical signals. A first free space region is connected to the plurality of input waveguides, and an optical grating comprising a plurality of unequal length waveguides is connected to the first free space region. A second free space region is connected to the optical grating, and an output waveguide is connected to the second free space region for providing the multiplexed output optical signal. First and second cross-coupling output ports are connected to the second free space region for providing first and second cross-coupling output signals representative of the cross-coupling of the optical signals with said cross-coupling output signals, wherein said first and second cross-coupling signals are approximately equally strong for a given one of the optical signals only when said optical signal has a wavelength substantially equal to a specified wavelength for said optical signal.

Multiple laser wavelength stabilization

Overlapped coupler combination Photonic Lightguide Circuits for routing optical signals within an optical communication system include at least two couplers whose planar slab waveguides are disposed in supportedly overlying relation so as to conserve wafer real estate. In a preferred form of the invention wherein a Dragone router is implemented, output waveguides of a first of the couplers are connected to the input waveguides of a second of the couplers at a predetermined angle so as to create path length differences in the individual optical signals traversing through the various waveguides. These path length differences ensure that the optical signals have good wavelength differentiation so that a large number of channels can be accommodated. The signals traverse through the couplers in uniform or non-uniform spaced channels of less than about 100 GHz, and more preferably less than about 25 GHz. The coupler combination devices are particularly useful as Dragone routers and other types of DWDM routers.

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Bethlehem, PA, United States of America

Gail Ann Bogert