Canadian Patents & Development Ltd.

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, As Represented by the Minister

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, As Represented by the Minister of Communications

Hill, Kenneth O.

Johnson, Derwyn C.

Faucher, Sylvain

Bilodeau, Francois

Sylvain Faucher

Kenneth O Hill

Derwyn C Johnson

Francois C Bilodeau

Francois Bilodeau

New types of narrowband wavelength selective optical devices are described. Various configurations are possible, according to the invention, that perform as narrowband wavelength selective transmission or reflection filters or as narrowband wavelength selective optical taps or combiners. The optical devices of the invention include a 3 dB optical directional coupler and wavelength selecting elements such as Bragg reflection gratings or Fabry-Perot resonators usually positioned in optical symmetry with respect to the directional coupler. Two or more wavelength selecting elements can be used to obtain desired filtering characteristics.

Wavelength selective optical devices using optical directional coupler

A method of forming a single mode biconical fiber optic coupler comprising holding 2 or more optical fibers parallel to and in contact with each other at spaced apart locations, exerting equal tension in opposite directions to the fibers at said spaced apart locations to stretch the fibers, fusing the fibers over a waist region, and scanning the tip of a flame from a microtorch back and forth along the fibers at a speed which is at least five times the speed of stretching of the fibers. This results in an overcoupled low loss coupler, a pressure or a temperature sensor, comprised of at least a pair of monomode optical fibers fused and parallel at a stretched waist portion, each having biconical tapers at opposite ends of the waist portion, the coupler having exhibited at least about 500 power transfer cycles during stretching formation of the waist portion.

Fabrication technique for low-loss fused taper directional couplers and

Growing community of inventors

Hull, Canada

Sylvain Faucher