Ii-vi Delaware, Inc.

Massimo Di Blasio

John J DeAndrea

Ian Grainge Clarke

A free-space optical communication system has a conversion assembly, a fiber array, and a wavelength selective switch (WSS) assembly. The conversion assembly converts circular polarization states of incoming optical signals to linear polarization states and converts linear polarization states to circular polarization states for outgoing optical signals. The fiber array has polarization-maintaining (PM) optical fibers arranged in optical communication between the conversion assembly and the WSS assembly to preserve the linear polarization states of the optical signals. The WSS assembly has free-space optics, such as dispersion element and beam-steering element, with optical axes arranged relative to the PM optical fibers. The WSS assembly selectively switches WDM channels of the optical signals relative to the PM optical fibers. Fast and slow axes of the PM optical fibers are aligned to the optical axes of the free-space optics.

Polarization-maintaining wavelength selective switch for free-space optical communication

A method for determining timing information in an optical communication link includes transmitting a falling edge from a transceiver positioned at a near end of the optical communication link and simultaneously starting a first timer at the transceiver positioned at the near end of the link. The transmitted falling edge is received at a transceiver positioned at a far end of the link. A falling edge is transmitted from the transceiver positioned at the far end of the link after a response delay. The transmitted falling edge is received at the transceiver positioned at the near end of the link while the first timer is simultaneously terminated at the transceiver positioned at the near end of the link and the elapsed time is recorded. The total link delay is determined based on the elapsed time.

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Princeton, NJ, United States of America

Massimo Di Blasio