Lucent Technologies Inc.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Inplane Photonics, Inc.

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

At+t Corp.

Agere Systems Guardian Corp.

Agere Systems Inc.

Triquint Technology Holding Co.

Agere Systems Optoelectronics Guardian Corp.

Sunlight Photonics Inc.

Joseph Shmulovich

Allan James Bruce

Sergey V Frolov

Yiu-Huen Wong

George W Berkstresser

Gadi Lenz

Tek-Ming Shen

Mark Anthony Cappuzzo

Ya-Hong Xie

Paul Francis Wysocki

Christi Kay Madsen

Gerard Edmond Henein

Tai-Chan D Huo

Louis T Gomez

Amy Wong

Casey Francis Kane

Alexei Glebov

Edwin Arthur Chandross

Valerie Jeanne Kuck

Gerald Nykolak

Arturo Hale

Barry Irwin Miller

Charles D Brandle, Jr

Eliezer M Rabinovich

Wesley P Townsend

Edward J Laskowski

Igal M Brener

William Michael MacDonald

Chunhui Xu

Casimir R Nijander

Ronald Edward Scotti

Vincent J Fratello

Winfried Denk

William Henry Grodkiewicz

Louis Nelson Ahlquist

John V Gates, Ii

Alejandro J Valentino

Isaac Ryazansky

Rudolf Kazarinov

William H Haemmerle

Jason O Fiering

John Van Atta Gates, Ii

Judith Martin Szalkowski

A method is provided for converting optical energy to electrical energy in a spectrally adaptive manner. The method begins by directing optical energy into a first photovoltaic module that includes non-single crystalline semiconductor layers defining a junction such that a first spectral portion of the optical energy is converted into a first quantity of electrical energy. A second spectral portion of the optical energy unabsorbed by the first module is absorbed by a second photovoltaic module that includes non-single crystalline semiconductor layers defining a junction and converted into a second quantity of electrical energy. The first quantity of electrical energy is conducted from the first module to a first external electrical circuit along a first path. The second quantity of electrical energy is conducted from the second module to a second external electrical circuit along a second path that is in parallel with the first path.

Spectrally adaptive multijunction photovoltaic thin film device and method of producing same

A planar waveguide optical amplifier includes a substrate and an active waveguide formed on the substrate for imparting gain to an optical signal propagating therethrough. The active waveguide has an input port for receiving an optical signal to be amplified and an output port on which an amplified optical signal is directed. A plurality of coupling elements are formed on the substrate and are adapted to couple pump power to the active waveguide. The plurality of coupling elements are located at predetermined positions along the active waveguide.

Waveguide optical amplifier

An integrated optical device is provided for distributing optical pump energy. The device includes at least one input port for receiving optical energy, a plurality of output ports, and a user configurable optical network coupled to the input port for distributing the optical energy among the output ports in a prescribed manner in conformance with a user-selected configuration.

Pump distribution network for multi-amplifier modules

An optical module is provided for performing a prescribed function such as dispersion compensation, for example. The optical module is to be integrated between stages of a multi-stage rare-earth doped optical amplifier. The module includes an input port for receiving optical energy from one stage of the rare-earth doped optical amplifier and a rare-earth doped planar waveguide coupled to the input port. An optically lossy, passive element is provided for performing the prescribed function. The optically lossy, passive element is coupled to the planar waveguide for receiving optical energy therefrom. An output port is coupled to the optically lossy, passive element for providing optical energy to another stage of the rare-earth doped optical amplifier. The rare-earth doped planar waveguide has a first unsaturated absorption spectrum and the rare-earth doped optical amplifier has a second unsaturated absorption spectrum such that the ratio of the first to the second absorption spectrum is substantially wavelength independent within the spectral range of incoming and outgoing optical energy. The rare-earth doped planar waveguide has a length determined at least in part from a value of optical loss in the passive element and characteristics of the rare-earth doped optical amplifier.

Optical module including an optically lossy component and an erbium-doped waveguide for insertion between stages of an optical amplifier

A semiconductor laser source includes a laser diode having front and rear facets. The laser diode includes a substrate and a lower cladding layer disposed on the substrate. The lower cladding layer is doped with a dopant of the first conductivity type. An active layer is disposed on the lower cladding layer and an upper cladding layer is disposed on the active layer. The upper cladding layer is doped with a dopant of the second conductivity type. At least one electrode is disposed on a first outer layer of the diode. A pair of electrodes is disposed on a second outer layer of the diode. The second outer layer is located on a side of the diode opposing the first outer layer. The pair of electrodes is configured to allow application of different currents to each one of the electrodes in the pair of electrodes. A reflector, which is located external to the laser diode, is in optical communication with the front facet of the laser diode for providing optical feedback to the active region.

Kink free operation of pump lasers having diffraction grating for providing wavelength stabilization

A multistage optical amplifier includes a fiber amplifier stage having an active optical fiber for imparting gain to an optical signal propagating therethrough and a coupler supplying pump energy to the optical fiber. A planar waveguide amplifier stage is optically coupled to the fiber amplifier stage. The waveguide amplifier including a substrate, an active planar waveguide formed on the substrate for imparting gain to an optical signal propagating therethrough, and at least one waveguide coupler formed on the substrate for coupling pump power to the active planar waveguide.

Multistage optical amplifier having a fiber-based amplifier stage and a planar waveguide-based amplifier stage

The present invention is a method for making planar waveguides. The method comprises the steps of providing a workpiece comprising a layer of material suitable for the wave guide strip; patterning the layer so that the workpiece comprises, a base portion and the at least one protruding portion; forming a cladding layer on the protruding portion; and attaching the cladding layer to a substrate. Depending on the composition of the workpiece, the process may further require removing the base portion to expose the bottom surface of the protruding portion. With this method, a planar waveguide or a planar waveguide amplifier may be fabricated having thickness dimensions greater than 5 &mgr;m, or more preferably, in the range of 10-20 &mgr;m.

Method for making a planar waveguide

A compact laser package having a submount with a plurality of electrical contact pads and a plurality of electrical connection lines formed thereon. The submount may be configured to receive at least one optical component thereon, the at least one optical component being in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of electrical connection lines. A lid is provided, the lid having a recessed portion and a groove formed therein, the recessed portion being positioned in an interior of the lid and the groove being positioned to intersect the recessed portion and a peripheral edge of the lid. The submount is generally configured to cooperatively engage the lid to form a hermetically sealed laser package.

Laser package

An apparatus is provided to compensate for dispersion in a transmission medium. The apparatus includes an input port for receiving a WDM optical signal having a plurality of signal wavelengths and a first Bragg transmission grating receiving the WDM optical signal from the input port. The first Bragg transmission grating has non-zero dispersion at at least one of the signal wavelengths. The first Bragg transmission grating also has a Bragg wavelength that is chosen so that all of the plurality of signal wavelengths lie outside of a reflection band of the first Bragg transmission grating. A second Bragg transmission grating, which is optically coupled to the first Bragg transmission grating, has a non-zero dispersion at at least one of the signal wavelengths. The second Bragg transmission grating also has a Bragg wavelength that is selected so that all of the plurality of signal wavelengths lie outside of a reflection band of the second Bragg transmission grating. Finally, an output port is provided for receiving the optical signal from the second Bragg grating and communicating the optical signal to an external source.

Dispersion compensator using Bragg gratings in transmission

The present invention is an optical coupler comprising a plurality of optical fibers that have unclad (core-exposed) ends and tapered cladding regions extending to cladded ends. The core-exposed ends are arranged in a bundle, and the cladded ends can be arranged as needed. The optical coupler can efficiently couple between waveguides of different core areas and shapes. For example, it may be used to connect a multimode collection fiber having a core area of greater than 50 &mgr;m to a planar waveguide amplifier having waveguide strips with heights of 5 &mgr;m or less.

Article comprising a multimode optical fiber coupler

A waveguide structure for use with a pump laser is disclosed that is designed to counteract the decrease in pump power density. The waveguide structure may comprise an erbium-doped waveguide amplifier, a nonlinear waveguide wavelength converter device, or an optical fiber. The waveguide structure has a waveguide region that is tapered over a pump propagation distance, said distance being defined as a predetermined distance between a first pump site and a second pump site over which the pump light is propagated for signal amplification or conversion. The taper reduces the depletion in pump power as compared with prior art systems and may be kept substantially constant over the pump propagation length, thereby counteracting pump depletion.

Article comprising a waveguide structure with improved pump utilization

An optical device that is a waveguide with a heating element thereon that is formed on a silicon substrate is disclosed. The waveguide is formed on a region of porous silicon formed in the silicon substrate. The porous silicon region provides greater resistance to the flow of heat than the silicon substrate on which the device is formed. Optionally, the porous silicon region also provides greater resistance to the flow of heat than the waveguide.

Optical device formed on a substrate with thermal isolation regions formed therein

A process for fabricating a silica-based optical device on a silicon substrate is disclosed. The device has a cladding formed in a silicon substrate. The device also has an active region, and that active region is formed on the cladding. The cladding is fabricated by forming a region of porous silicon in the silicon substrate. The porous silicon is then oxidized and densified. After densification, the active region of the device is formed on the cladding.

Process for fabricating an optical device

In accordance with the invention, an optical all-pass filter comprises a substrate-supported multilayer waveguiding structure comprising a first layer including a waveguiding optical ring resonator, a second layer including an optical grating optically coupled to the ring resonator, and a third layer including a relatively straight waveguide optically coupled to the grating. The waveguide can be made with standard index material matched to an optical communication system, and the ring can be made of higher index material. The grating sandwiched between them provides phase matching between these two index mismatched structures, facilitating efficient power transfer between them.

Optical communication system including broadband all-pass filter for dispersion compensation

In a time-division-multiplex system, a relatively high-rate optical signal stream comprising multiple interleaved signal sequences is applied to one end of an elongated waveguide that includes multiple photodetectors disposed along the longitudinal extent of the waveguide. Probe pulses at a relatively low rate are applied to the other end of the waveguide in a synchronized fashion to cause two-photon non-linear absorption in successive respective photodetectors as each propagating probe pulse overlaps successive different signals of each sequence. In that way, electrical output signals are provided from each photodetector at the relatively low probe-pulse rate.

Optical time-division-multiplex system

Growing community of inventors

New Providence, NJ, United States of America

Joseph Shmulovich