Jds Uniphase Corporation

Other

Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technology

Philip Patrick Duggan

Douglas E Crafts

Jinxi Shen

Barthelemy Fondeur

Eliseo R Ranalli

James F Farrell

Paul Colbourne

Steven Harold Moffat

Krassimir Stoev

Martin Matthews

Charles H Hersom

Stephen Robert De Hennin

David William Charles Markin

Mikelis Nils Svilans

William A Gault

A scanning optical spectrometer with a detector array is disclosed, in which position of focused spot of light at the input of a dispersive element such as arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with a slab input, is scanned using a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) tiltable micromirror so as to make the dispersed spectrum of light scan over the detector array coupled to the AWG. Sub-spectra recorded using individual detectors are concatenated by a processor unit to obtain the spectrum of input light.

Scanning spectrometer with multiple photodetectors

A method and an apparatus for calibrating a MEMS actuator of a hybrid MEMS-PLC optical switch or router is described. Two calibrating waveguides, embedded monolithically adjacent to the waveguides that provide the PLC output functions, are used for referencing a MEMS mirror tilt angle by maximizing optical coupling of light, reflected off the MEMS mirror, into one or each of the two calibrating waveguides. The input light is provided by either a waveguide carrying a live optical signal, or by a special input waveguide, coupled to an LED, for providing a calibrating light. Two emitting waveguides, embedded monolithically adjacent to the waveguides that provide the PLC input functions, can be used.

Method and apparatus for referencing a MEMS device

The invention relates to a compensator of attenuation drift in an optical multi-wavelength switch (MWS) which uses input signal amplitude dither and external VOA dither cancellation to determine relative position of MEMS micro mirror hence indirectly determining attenuation level.

MWS drift feedback compensator using VOA and input power dithering

An array of optical elements for processing a spatially dispersed optical beam including monitoring optical elements for determining the position of the optical beam in the array is disclosed. The monitoring optical elements have a width that varies in ay direction normal to the array axis, enabling the determination of the beam position across the monitoring elements in both x and y directions. The monitoring optical elements are preferably disposed in the end portions of the array for the beam tilt determination. The optical elements can be e.g. liquid crystal pixels or micro-mirrors.

Optical array with beam alignment feature

An optical spectrum analyzer for analyzing at least n wavelengths of light is disclosed having a tunable filter with an input port and an output port and a periodic output response with a free spectral range Fand having a bandwidth B. An AWG is optically coupled to receive light from the output port; and for distributing the light spatially at other locations in a wavelength dependent manner. Optically coupled with the AWG are m detectors for detecting wavelength or channel information. The number of detectors, m is less than n when a single detector is associated with a single channel; and m is less than 2n when two detectors are associated with a single channel.

Optical spectrum analyzer

This invention relates to a new optical geometry for using a linear variable filter as an optical spectral filter. An elliptical beam geometry with the minor beam axis oriented along the linearly varying axis of the filter is used. The beam is incident at a slight angle relative to the long axis of the beam. Ultimately this geometry produces a filter which has minimum spectral broadening from both angular and beam extent effects. Furthermore, this geometry results in low back reflectance and higher input beam power damage thresholds. The optical filter includes means for tuning a wavelength response of the filter. Further, the optical filter can afford Add/Drop functionality by providing optical circulators at the input and output ports.

Optical filter using a linear variable filter with elliptical beam geometry

Sun sensors or position sensors may be used to determine the angular location of the sun or other object with respect to the sensor. The sun sensor provides high resolution over a wide field of regard. A position or sun sensor comprises a sensor housing, a plurality of pinholes formed In the sensor housing, a detector mounted within the housing and a method of processing the information detected. The detector is mounted in the sensor housing. Each pinhole has a field of view and the detector receives the images from each field of view. Each field of view is defined by the position of the pinhole relative to the detector. The images are received in an overlay relationship thereby providing a field of regard. The processing method determines the presence and location of an object In a field of regard.

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Nepean, Canada

Philip Patrick Duggan