Corning Incorporated

Gang Chen

Laura A Weller-Brophy

Glenn E Kohnke

William James Miller

Robert Adam Modavis

Joel P Carberry

Peter Knowles

Steven Bruce Dawes

Mike Xu Ouyang

Qi Wu

Darol Chamberlain

Lyle David Kinney

Stephanus J Spammer

Peter J McNeilly

Emmanuel C Onyiriuka

A dynamically tunable filter controls the magnitude of couplings between core and cladding modes of a waveguide by surrounding the waveguide with an overcladding having an adjustable refractive index. The coupled modes are attenuated along the core to produce the desired spectral response. The adjustment to the overcladding index is made in a range that is above the refractive index of the underlying cladding to vary amplitudes of attenuated bands of wavelengths without shifting central wavelengths of the bands.

Amplitude tunable filter

One aspect of the invention is an optical add/drop multiplexer. The optical add/drop multiplexer includes a first optical circulator, the first circulator includes a first port, a second port, and a third port. The optical add/drop multiplexer also includes a first tunable grating coupled to the first port and a second tunable grating coupled to the first grating. The optical add/drop multiplexer further includes a second optical circulator, the second optical circulator includes a fourth port, coupled to the second grating; a fifth port, and a sixth port. Wherein the first tunable grating is a fiber Bragg grating and wherein the second tunable grating is a fiber Bragg grating.

Tunable grating optical device

The present invention relates to a tunable optical device that includes an optical fiber device having optical properties that vary with temperature and a heater . The heater is thermally coupled to the optical fiber device . The heater includes a metal layer and two electrical contacts that are electrically connected to the metal layer . The electrical contacts are spaced apart from one another along the metal layer . The electrical resistance of the portion of the metal layer between the contacts varies with temperature and serves as a resistive heater. The invention also includes a controller that is electrically connected to the heater . The controller provides electrical power to the heater and measures the electrical voltage across the heater . The controller compares the measured electrical voltage to a pre-selected reference value. The controller then regulates the amount of electrical current supplied to the heater . By regulating the amount of electrical current supplied to the heater the temperature of the heater is controlled.

Thermally tunable optical devices

The method and apparatus of the present invention achieves the trimming and, therefore, tuning of fiber optic devices by, in on embodiment, precisely heating a small area of a fiber to allow its elongation when mounted under tension in its package. By pulsing a source of heat in precise amounts, the elongation can be precisely controlled within 1 picometer precision over a tuning range of about 200 picometers. In another embodiment with fibers having core dopants which can be diffused, the optical length of an optical fiber can be trimmed with nanometer precision. By employing a controlled source of localized energy applied to the optical fiber, real time trimming can be achieved in both systems by injecting a broad band source of energy at the input of the device and coupling a spectral analyzer at its output to monitor the frequency characteristic of the optical device during trimming. In a preferred embodiment, the energy source comprised a CO laser having a relatively narrow beam corresponding to the diameter of the optical fiber. Energy from the laser is directed to a small area of the optical fiber in pulses which provide precise control of the trimming process.

Method and apparatus for trimming the optical path length of optical fiber components

A copper-gallium alloy is deposited on a nonconductive substrate, such as glass, ceramic, or polymeric material, to provide a conductor to which solder will readily adhere, such that electrical contacts to photonic and electrical components can be made. The copper-gallium thin film can also be used to provide a surface for solder sealing a component within a hermetically sealed enclosure. In a preferred embodiment, the copper-gallium alloy was from about 1 to about 40 percent gallium to about 99 to about 60 percent copper and was deposited to a thickness of from about 400 nanometers to about 3 microns. The copper-gallium film is deposited utilizing sputtering or electron beam deposition equipment.

Solderable thin film

Packages for long period fiber gratings and other optical components (and methods for forming the packages) are described. According to an aspect of the invention, a hollow tube surrounding an optical fiber containing a long-period grating is collapsed in two areas, forming a seal at each end of the tube. According to another aspect of the invention, a hollow tube with a shelf section at each end surrounds an optical fiber containing a long-period grating. The hollow tube is sealed at each end with a fused frit. According to another aspect of the invention, a hollow tube surrounding an optical fiber containing a long-period grating is sealed at each end with a glass plug.

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Horseheads, NY, United States of America

Gang Chen