Finisar Corporation

E-tek Dynamics, Inc.

New Focus, Inc.

Iolon, Inc.

Yonglin Huang

Ping Peter Xie

Liren Du

Qi Deng

Zheng Wang

Jian S Liu

Kai Zhang

J J Pan

Xuejun Lu

Jing-Jong J Pan

Steve Wang

Xiwen Wang

Shuqing Ma

Bing Zhang

Salvador P Tiscareno

Meng Ma

John F Heanue

Jeffrey P Wilde

Frank H Levinson

Jerry E Hurst, Jr

Stephen J Hrinya

Peter Zupei Chen

Robert Huang

Shuyun Huang

Shuging Ma

James Xu

Jian Lui

An optical waveguide for use in amplifying light signals with an integrated gain equalization filter. The optical waveguide includes a gain section for amplifying light signals. The optical waveguide further includes an equalization filter to improve the uniformity of optical gain over a wavelength range for which the gain section is intended to provide amplification.

Integration of a gain equalization filter in a gain medium

An optical amplifier utilizes two or more doped fiber segments or portions to achieve a lower noise figure and a higher saturation power than would be possible using any one of the doped fiber segments. Each doped fiber portion may be considered to be a doped fiber optical amplifier, and has a different doping level than each of the other doped fiber portions. Each such doped fiber portion has distinct amplitude gain and noise characteristics relative to each of the other doped fiber potions. The two or more doped fiber portions are coupled to each other in series and most often in a predefined order based on their relative amplitude gain, noise and saturation power characteristics.

Staged amplifier for lower noise figure and higher saturation power

Optical devices are disclosed, one example of which includes first and second polarization maintaining ('PM') fibers. The first and second PM fibers in this example are disposed beside each other to form a grouping that includes a secondary axis defined by the first and second PM fibers. The first and second PM fibers are oriented such that a fast axis of the first PM fiber is non-parallel with respect to a fast axis of the second PM fiber. Finally, the optical device is configured so that each of the PM fibers maintains a distinct optical transmission path.

Fiber optic pair with pigtail geometry

System and techniques for reducing the polarization dependency of an optical component by combining the actions of a circulator and a polarization beam combiner to separate an optical signal into a plurality of orthogonally oriented polarization components; rotate at least one of the components so that the polarization orientation of the components are parallel; propagate the components through respective input ports of an optical component at substantially the same time; rotate at least one of a plurality of output components from the optical component so that the polarization orientation of the output components are orthogonal; and recombine the plurality of output components into an output optical signal.

Circulator and polarization beam combiner

Erbium doped fiber amplifiers for dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) metro area optical networks may be configured as either high gain amplifiers or power amplifiers. The erbium doped fiber type, length, and pump power level are selected so that the shape of the gain spectra is approximately the same for single channel or multi-channel operation. In one embodiment, the same erbium doped fiber type and length is used for both power amplifiers and high gain amplifiers, reducing manufacturing costs.

Scalable and exchangeable erbium doped fiber amplifier for DWDM

An optical pumping module for use in optical amplifiers in fiber-optic communication. The pump module integrates laser diodes and a polarization beam combiner (PBC). The laser diodes and PBC may be attached to a substrate. The laser diodes may be formed onto the substrate either monolithically or by attaching discrete components to the substrate. The PBC may include isolation to prevent reflections back into the laser diodes.

Integrated optical pump module

An integrated transceiver for achieving bi-directional communication along a single fiber-optic cable in a fiber-optic network. The transceiver includes an active part for transmit and receive portions of the transceiver. The active part includes a photo diode and a laser diode attached to a substrate. Bi-directional communication is achieved by using an optical circulator. The optical circulator may include components that limit back reflections into the active part of the transceiver. The optical circulator is attached to the substrate and connected optically to the active part.

Single-fiber bi-directional transceiver

A dual fiber optic amplifier uses a single pump source for two or more optical power amplifiers. The dual fiber optic amplifier includes a pump source that emits light, a pump splitter, a first optical power amplifier and a second optical power amplifier. The pump splitter splits the light emitted by the pump source into two or more portions. The first optical power amplifier includes an optical fiber input, an optical fiber output, and a doped fiber portion, wherein the first portion of light from the splitter is coupled into the optical fiber input of the first optical power amplifier. The second optical power amplifier includes an optical fiber input, an optical fiber output, and a doped fiber portion, wherein the second portion of light emitted from the splitter is coupled into the optical fiber input of the second optical power amplifier.

Dual fiber optic amplifier with shared pump source

A plug in communications module for achieving bi-directional communication along a single fiber-optic cable in a fiber-optic network. The plug in module is made such that it plugs directly into fiber-optic communication equipment of standard form factors. Bi-directional communication is achieved by using a low-cost circulator. The plug in module also has a receptacle that is used for attaching a patch cable between the fiber-optic network in the plug in module.

Plug-in module for providing bi-directional data transmission

An optical isolator includes a first stage configured to refract a light ray applied in a forward direction into a first ray and a second ray. A second stage rotated 90&#xb0; with respect to the first is configured to refract said first and second rays in a substantially parallel manner. The isolator is configured such that the first ray comprises an e-ray with respect to the first stage and an o-ray with respect to the second stage, and the second ray comprises an o-ray with respect to the first stage and an e-ray with respect to the second stage, thereby substantially reducing the effects of polarization mode dispersion.

Dual-stage optical isolator minimized polarization mode dispersion and simplified fabrication process

A collimating device having adjustable features that facilitate proper optical alignment of components positioned within the collimator is disclosed. In one embodiment, the collimating device includes a collimating portion including a collimating element, a core portion containing an optical device, and at least one adapter portion. An engagement surface on one end of the collimating portion is shaped to engage a corresponding engagement surface on one end of the adapter portion to form an adjustment point. An additional adjustment point is defined between another end of the adapter portion and an end of the core portion. These adjustment points enable the collimating portion to be maneuvered with respect to the core portion in order to align the collimating device. Minimal clearances between the adjustment point surfaces minimize the amount of adhesive needed to bond the collimator portion together after alignment, thereby producing a more stable and secure collimating device.

Adjustable optical signal collimator

A gain flattening and tap device. A gain flattening filter for use in fiber-optic communications includes a substrate. A GFF film is formed on a first surface of the substrate. An HR film is formed on a second surface of the substrate. The HR film is arranged to receive light from the GFF film and to reflect at least some of the light back through the GFF film. By passing the light through the GFF film multiple times, the effectiveness of the GFF film is multiplied. Further, by constructing the HR film to allow portions of the light to pass through, a tap may be implemented with the GFF.

Simplified gain flattening and tap device

A polarization beam combiner/splitter ('PBCS') for combining and splitting multiple channels of light beams simultaneously is disclosed. The PBCS includes a first fiber array, a second fiber array, and an optical core composed of a birefringent or other suitable material. The first fiber array includes a plurality of optical fiber pairs, while the second fiber array includes a corresponding plurality of optical fibers. The optical core is sized to modify light beams from any of the optical fibers of the first or second array. In a beam combining operation, multiple channels of polarized beams are emitted by the optical fiber pairs of the first fiber array and passed through the optical core, which combines the beams into dual-polarized combined light beams. The combined beams exit the optical core and are received by the second array of optical fibers. A similar beam splitting operation can be performed on multiple combined beams.

Multi-channel polarization beam combiner/splitter

A device functions as a polarization beam combiner and an isolator. When light is transmitted in a first propagation direction, a second beam is displaced towards a first beam. The second beam has a polarization orthogonal to the polarization of the first beam, and the second beam is substantially parallel to the first beam. The polarizations of the first and second beams are rotated by a same first amount in a first rotation direction and then rotated by the same first amount in a second opposite rotation direction. The first and second beams are combined by displacing the second beam towards the first beam. The combined beam is polarized along a first plane and second plane, which is orthogonal to the first plane. When light is transmitted in a second opposite propagation direction, the device is used to provide optical isolation.

Integrated optical isolator and polarization beam combiner

An optical polarization beam splitter comprises a first optical fiber having an end defining a first optical axis, a second optical fiber having an end defining a second optical axis, and a third optical fiber having an end defining a third optical axis parallel to and spaced apart from the second optical axis. A collimating lens is disposed along the first optical axis positioned to form a collimated optical beam from the first optical fiber. A focussing lens is disposed along a path of the collimated optical beam. A birefringent walk-off crystal has a first face adjacent to the focussing lens and a second face located at a focal plane of the focussing lens and in contact with the ends of the second and third optical fibers. The birefringent crystal is oriented such that and has a thickness between its first and second faces selected such that a first component of the optical beam having a first polarization exits the crystal at its second face and enters the end of the second optical fiber along the second optical axis and a second component of the optical beam having a second polarization orthogonal to the polarization of the first polarization exits the crystal at its second face and enters the end of the third optical fiber along the third optical axis.

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Yonglin Huang