Viavi Solutions Inc.

Joshua Benjamin Julius Philipson

Christopher Russell Wagner

Robert Matthew Adams

Driss Touahri

Luis Andre Neves Paiva Fernandes

Eugene Chan

A variable optical attenuator (VOA) may include an input collimator with an input fiber connected on one side and an output collimator with an output fiber connected on one side, where the collimators are on a same surface of a VOA enclosure. A retroreflector may receive a light beam from the input collimator and reflect the light beam to the output collimator. The VOA may include an attenuation element positioned between the input collimator and the retroreflector and/or another attenuation element positioned between the retroreflector and the output collimator to provide variable attenuation to the light beam. The attenuation elements may be moved to set an attenuation level by one or more adjustment elements such as a miniature motor. The attenuation element may include a gradient index (GRIN) element, a polarizer, a neutral density filter, or a wavelength tunable filter.

Variable optical attenuator arrays

A system for a high resolution optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) using various optical configurations to reduce polarization dependent loss (PDL) is disclosed. The system may include a birefringent element to receive an input optical beam. The birefringent element may then split the optical beam into at least two exit beams. The system may also include an optical configuration comprising at least one optical element. The optical configuration may receive the at least two exit beams from the birefringent element and transform at least one of the two exit beams using the at least one optical element to provide two parallel beams with parallel polarizations. The optical configuration may then output the two parallel beams with parallel polarizations to a downstream optical element, such as a diffraction grating, or other optical element.

Reducing polarization dependent loss (PDL) in a grating-based optical spectrum analyzer (OSA)

According to examples, a system for measuring polarization dependent loss (PDL) for a device-under-test (DUT) may include a tunable laser, a polarization element and a power meter. The tunable laser may emit an optical signal to sweep across an optical band at a constant rate. The polarization element may scramble polarizations states of the optical signal emitted from the tunable laser. The power meter may take power measurements associated with the optical signal emitted from the tunable laser, wherein the power measurements from the power meter are used to determine a maximum insertion loss (IL) and a minimum insertion loss (IL) associated with the device-under-test (DUT). An average insertion loss (IL) and a polarization dependent loss (PDL) for the device-under-test (DUT) may be calculated based on the maximum insertion loss (IL) and the minimum insertion loss (IL) associated with the device-under-test (DUT).

Techniques for providing a swept wavelength (SW) measurement for acquiring polarization dependent loss (PDL) in a single scan

A monochromator apparatus for an optical spectrum analyzer may include a diffraction grating, a rotatable oblique prism reflector element with a non-right-angle apex angle, and a mirror. An input optical beam received from an input component may be diffracted by the grating element and reflected by a reflector element, where the reflector element may include a rotatable oblique prism with an apex angle that is different from a right angle. A mirror may reflect the reflected diffracted optical beam back to the reflector element and the grating element. An output optical beam from the grating element may be provided via an output element to a detection element for high resolution optical measurement. The oblique prism reflector element may reduce or eliminate a Littrow ghost effect or secondary ghost effects caused by the grating element.

Techniques for reducing optical ghosts in a gratings-based optical spectrum analyzer (OSA)

An apparatus for providing multicore fiber (OCF) optical switching is disclosed. The apparatus may include an input fiber to receive an optical signal from an optical source. The apparatus may also include an output fiber to receive the optical signal from the input fiber. The apparatus may further include an optical switch element to provide optical switching between the input fiber and the output fiber. In some examples, at least one of the input fiber and the output fiber may be a multicore fiber (MCF), and the optical switching may be performed between at least one core of the input fiber and the output fiber. In some examples, the optical switch element may provide optical switching using a multicore fiber (MCF) optical switching technique, such as a lens offset technique, a rotation-based technique, a tip-tilt technique, or an orientable optical element technique.

Fiber-optic switches using multicore optical fibers

A system for providing optical measurements and detection in optical spectrum analyzers (OSAs) with high dynamic range and high speed is disclosed. The system may include a slit to allow inward passage of an optical beam. The system may also include an optical portion to receive the optical beam. In some examples, the optical portion may include at least one optical splitter to split the optical beam into at least two optical paths. The system may also include an electrical portion to receive the optical beams split into the at least two optical paths. In some examples, the electrical portion may include at least one photodetector to receive each of the split optical beam. The electrical portion may also include at least one amplifier communicatively coupled to each of the at least one photodetector to amplify the split optical beam. The electrical portion may further include at least one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) communicatively coupled to each of the at least one amplifier to convert the split optical beams into digital signals.

Optical measurements with dynamic range and high speed

A system for measuring a polarization extinction ratio (PER) using a reference master test jumper (MTJ) is disclosed. The system may include an optical source to transmit an optical signal via an optical fiber. The system may also include a device under test (DUT) communicatively coupled to the optical source via the optical fiber to receive the optical signal from the optical source. The system may also include an optical measurement component communicatively coupled to the device under test (DUT). In some examples, the optical fiber may be configured or initialized to be a reference master test jumper (MTJ) that minimizes inherent polarization extinction ratio (PER) of the optical fiber when measuring a polarization extinction ratio (PER) during a measurement action.

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Ottawa, Canada

Joshua Benjamin Julius Philipson