Kaptron, Inc.

K2 Optronics, Inc.

Other

Monsanto Research Corporation

Solarpath, Inc.

Narinder S Kapany

Fred C Unterleitner

Herbert J Shaw

Michel J Digonnet

John J Fling

Edgar E Hardy

Claire Gu

Shin-Lo Chia

Lew Stolpner

Thomas A Orofino

Meric Ozcan

A construction panel includes a pane, a construction substrate, and a frame that form an air gap there between. An electrical generator, a water circulator, and an air venting system are in the air gap. First and second reflective coatings are respectively on first surfaces of the pane and the construction substrate. The first surfaces face the air gap. The reflective coatings reflect IR to heat water in the water circulator and heat air in the air gap. First and second antireflective coatings are respectively on a second surface of the pane and on the first reflective coating. The second surface faces away from the air gap. The antireflective coatings transmit electromagnetic radiation to the electrical generator for electricity generation. The heated water, heated air, and electricity may be used in a building to which the construction panel is attached. The solar-construction panel includes a multiple-pane window integrally formed therein.

Solar wall apparatus and method

A window includes first and second panes and a frame coupled to the first and second panes to form an air gap there between. The window further includes an electrical generator disposed in the air gap configured to convert electromagnetic radiation to electricity. The window further includes a venting system configured to vent heat from the air gap away from the first pane or the second pane. The window further includes first and second reflective coatings respectively disposed on first surfaces of the panes. The first surfaces face the air gap, and the reflective coatings are configured to reflect infrared radiation into the air gap. The window further includes first and second antireflective coatings respectively disposed on second surfaces of the panes. The second surfaces face away from the air gap, and the antireflective coatings are configured to transmit visible light and infrared radiation into the air gap.

Solar window apparatus and method

A configurable wavelength multiplexing device having first, second, and third reflectors. The first reflector has a first state in which it transmits incoming light (having first and second wavelengths) along a first transmitted path and a second state in which it reflects the light along a first reflected path. The second reflector reflects the first wavelength and transmits the second wavelength. The third reflector reflects the first wavelength. The first, second, and third reflectors are oriented so that when the incoming light is transmitted along the first transmitted path, the first wavelength is reflected by the second and third reflectors to travel along second and third reflected paths, the third reflected path intersects the first reflector at an angle such that the first wavelength is transmitted by the first reflector and continues on the first reflected path, and the second wavelength is transmitted by the second reflector.

Wavelength add drop element for configurable add drop multiplexing

A tunable laser system comprises an externalcavity laser diode in combination with an optically coupled waveguide having a Bragg grating formed therein. The laser diode provides a gain medium characterized by a first band of wavelengths. A portion of the fiber and the grating help define an external resonant cavity. The grating limits the wavelengths exiting the external cavity to a second band that is typically much narrower than the first band. The grating region of the waveguide is thermally coupled to a heating element having an associated temperature controller for controllably varying the temperature of the grating region and thus changing the optical pitch of the grating and thus the second band. The grating region of the waveguide can alternatively, or additionally, be subjected to acoustic energy to change the optical pitch of the grating.

Tunable external cavity laser

The non-blocking micro-optic switch matrix (NMSM) includes a plurality of optical routing elements (OREs) forming an M&times;N matrix. Each ORE of the plurality includes a first and second wafer prism having a gap disposed therebetween. A body of transparent solid material disposed in the gap has a contracted state at a first temperature and an expanded state at a second temperature. The contracted state defines an air gap in the path of light traveling along a first axis, causing light to be deflected along a second axis through total internal reflection. The first and second axes are at a non-zero angle with respect to one another. The expanded state of the transparent material removes the air gap disposed in the path of light traveling along the first axis allowing light to pass through the first wafer prism, through the body of transparent material and into the second wafer prism.

Non-blocking micro-optic switch matrix for use in fiber optic systems

An optical routing element (ORE) that can be incorporated into a variety of configurations, to provide the basis for such devices as crossbar switches, wavelength division multiplexers, and add/drop multiplexers. The ORE includes first, second, and third waveguide segments. The first and second waveguide segments extend along a common axis, and are separated by a routing region. The third waveguide segment extends from the routing region at a non-zero angle with respect to the common axis. The routing region is occupied by a selectively reflecting element that selectively reflects light based on a state of the element or a property of the light. The selectively reflecting element may be a thermal expansion element (TEE) or a wavelength-selective filter. A TEE has a body of material having contracted and expanded states at respective first and second temperatures. The contracted state defines an air gap disposed in the path of light traveling along the first waveguide segment so as to cause the light to be deflected into the third waveguide segment through total internal reflection. The expanded state removes the air gap so as to allow the light traveling along the first waveguide segment to pass into the second waveguide segment. The first, second, and third waveguide segments are formed in a monolithic planar waveguide device, and a trench is formed across the region where the waveguide segments intersect. The selectively reflecting element is disposed in the trench. Communication with the ORE is typically effected through optical fibers that are in optical contact with the waveguide segments at respective positions at the edges of the planar waveguide device. The optical fibers may have flared cores. OPTICAL ROUTING ELEMENT FOR USE IN FIBER OPTIC SYSTEMS

Optical routing element for use in fiber optic systems

A fiber optic switch module that can be incorporated into switch designs characterized by negligible crosstalk. The switch module is capable of operation over two wavelength bands. A 2.times.2 switch module has an open or bar state in which polished portions of the fiber segments are separated from each other and a closed or cross state where the polished portions are in optical contact with each other. The module has arbitrarily low crosstalk in the bar state, but typically some crosstalk in the cross state. In one embodiment, the third port of a first 2.times.2 module is coupled to the first port a second 2.times.2 module while no connections are-made to the second ports of the modules or to the third port of the second module. Fiber parameters (core radius and numerical aperture) and fabrication parameters (radius of curvature of the fibers in the interaction region and minimum edge-to-edge spacing between the fiber cores) are chosen so that the switch module has high coupling ratio (close to unity) in two distinct wavelength bands.

Fiber optic switch using polished-type directional coupler

An attenuating centrosymmetric reflective (CSR) device is provided for controllably coupling optical energy between pairs of optical fibers. The CSR-based attenuating device comprises a CSR coupler having a neutral density attenuating plate inserted between a fiber holder portion of the device and the reflecting mirror. The attenuating plate is preferably of variable density so that translation of the attenuating plate across the path of the beams results in varying attenuation. In a specific embodiment, back reflections to the source are eliminated by positioning the variable density attenuator plate at an angle large enough so that reflections of all reflected rays exceed the acceptance angle of the fiber ends. The variable density attenuating plate may be manually or automatically moved to obtain the desired attenuation.

Optical fiber coupler with attenuator

A fiber optic isolator uses only one-half the amount of costly rotator material as the prior art and an isolated laser amplifier uses only one-quarter the amount of costly rotator material. An embodiment of a fiber optic isolator includes a concave reflector and a fiber holder defining first and second fiber ports that register the respective ends of first and second fibers. A polarizer is located between the first port and the reflector, an analyzer is located between the second port and the reflector, and a Faraday rotator is disposed between the polarizer and analyzer on one side and the reflector on the other side. The polarizer and analyzer have their polarization axes at a relative angle of 45.degree. while the rotator is configured to provide a 22.5.degree. rotation. The port locations, the reflector, the polarizer, and the analyzer are configured so that light diverging from the end of the first fiber and entering the first port passes through the system and is imaged at the end of the second fiber, at least for one polarization component. At the same time, light that enters the second port is prevented from leaving the first port, regardless of the polarization mode.

Fiber optic isolater and amplifier

The present invention provides modules for interfacing optical fibers with very low light loss and with provision for monitoring of the optical signal. The modules according to the present invention are characterized by the precise tolerances required in high capacity optical communication systems and yet may be mass produced at reasonable costs. A device according to the present invention comprises an imaging element having a curved reflective surface at one end and prealigned fiber insertion holes at the other end. Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed.

Fiber optics communication modules

Multiple reflection modules having as a light source or a light target a lensed optical fiber employ one more spherical reflectors and wavelength selectors for selecting the wavelengths of optical radiation on selected optical paths between said light source and said light target. The reflection module may be a multiplexer or a laser cavity. As a laser, it may include as a source a semiconductor laser comprising a laser source disposed to direct radiation through a first multiple layer dielectric Fabry-Perot cavity with the center of curvature between the source and a fiber tip to which output energy is to be coupled, and a second reflector mounted behind the first reflector, the second reflector being a full reflector with the center of curvature at the laser source. The first reflector may have a narrow-band optical transmissivity characteristic intended to permit only a narrow band of optical radiation to be coupled to the full reflector, the full reflector disposed as a confocal relfective surface of the laser cavity. Reflections from the first reflector are coupled to a tip of an optical fiber. Other embodiments of the invention are configured as multiplexers. Still other embodiments employ a diffraction grating as part of a laser cavity or as a frequency-selective multiplexer.

Hybrid active devices coupled to fiber via spherical reflectors

A star coupler/monitor comprises a beam splitter (25) and at least one imaging element (30) oriented relative to first, second, and third spatially discrete regions (35a-c) as follows. A minor portion of the light emanating from any given point in the first region (35a) is imaged at a corresponding point in the second region (35b). A major portion of the light emanating from the given point is imaged at a corresponding point in the third region (35c). The ends of N input fibers in an input bundle (12) are registered in an array in the first region (35a). The ends of N monitor fibers in a monitor bundle (15) are registered fiber-by-fiber at optically conjugate locations in the second region (35b) so that a minor portion of the light emanating from any one of the input fibers is imaged at the corresponding monitor fiber end. An integrating element (17) such as a rod is disposed in the third region (35c). The method achieves registration simply and virtually automatically by forming both bundles in the first instance from a single bundle. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of fibers (76), reducing the cladding thickness over corresponding intermediate portions (77) of the fibers, bonding the intermediate portions of the fibers into a tight assembly (79), severing the assembly at an intermediate point to define two bundles, and locating the two bundles so formed at optically conjugate locations.

Star coupler for optical fibers

An alignment method and construction for fiber optics communication modules. A module includes a plano-convex element, a concave element , and a fiber-holding substrate. The plano-convex element has first and second surfaces. The first surface is flat; the second surface has a convex segment characterized by a self-conjugate plane coincident with the first surface and a surrounding flat segment parallel to the first surface. The concave element has a concave surface segment surrounded by a flat segment. When the flat segment of the concave element is bonded to the flat segment of the plano-convex element, the first surface of the latter is also a self-conjugate plane for the concave segment. The substrate has a first flat face that is bonded to the first surface of the plano-convex element and a second flat face having a fiber-receiving means therein. Batch assembly and alignment may be achieved by fabricating carrier elements containing arrays of the plano-convex elements or concave elements.

Construction for fiber optics communications modules using elements

Apparatus and a manufacturing method for a star coupler/monitor (10). A star coupler/monitor comprises a beam splitter (25) and at least one imaging element (30) oriented relative to first, second, and third spatially discrete regions (35a-c) as follows. A minor portion of the light emanating from any given point in the first region (35a) is imaged at a corresponding point in the second region (35b). A major portion of the light emanating from the given point is imaged at a corresponding point in the third region (35c). The ends of N input fibers in an input bundle (12) are registered in an array in the first region (35a). The ends of N monitor fibers in a monitor bundle (15) are registered fiber-by-fiber at optically conjugate locations in the second region (35b) so that a minor portion of the light emanating from any one of the input fibers is imaged at the corresponding monitor fiber end. An integrating element (17) such as a rod is disposed in the third region (35c). The method achieves registration simply and virtually automatically by forming both bundles in the first instance from a single bundle. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of fibers (76), reducing the cladding thickness over corresponding intermediate portions (77) of the fibers, bonding (as for example by cementing or fusing) the intermediate portions of the fibers into a tight assemby (79), severing the assembly at an intermediate point to define two bundles, and locating the two bundles so formed at optically conjugate locations.

A fiber optics coupler module has a portion defining a spherical reflective surface characterized by a self-conjugate plane having the property that a point source of light in the self-conjugate plane is imaged in the self-conjugate plane. The coupler includes first and second optical transceiver terminals adapted to register a source, detector, or fiber end at each of first and second conjugate locations within the self-conjugate plane. The reflective surface passes a fraction of light incident thereon, whereupon a portion of light diverging from the first location passes through the reflective surface along a first optical path. Similarly a portion of light diverging from the second location passes through the reflective surface along a second optical path. The coupler further includes focusing means on the side of the reflective surface remote from the first and second locations for imaging light travelling along the first optical path at a third location, and also for imaging light travelling along the second optical path at a fourth location. In a first series of embodiments, the reflective surface is partially transmissive, partially reflective for wavelengths in a given range. In a second series of embodiments, the reflective surface is a dichroic surface. In a third series of embodiments, the coupler uses a plane reflection grating and collimated light.

Growing community of inventors

Woodside, CA, United States of America

Narinder S Kapany