The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 10, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 05, 1999
David Alan Ackerman, Hopewell, NJ (US);
Philip J. Anthony, Bridgewater, NJ (US);
John VanAtta Gates, New Providence, NJ (US);
Dirk Joachim Muehlner, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Lucent Technologies, Inc., , NJ (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for stabilizing the wavelength of light emitted by a laser or light source comprising a divider for dividing a sample of emitted light into a first and second portion; a first photodetector configured to measure an intensity of the first portion and a second photodetector configured to measure an intensity of the second portion, the second photodetector configured to receive the emitted light via an optical frequency discriminator, such as a dielectric coating, wherein the optical frequency discriminator is configured to modify the intensity of the emitted light at the second photodetector as a function of an optical frequency of the emitted light; and a processor configured to maintain a desired level corresponding to a ratio of the intensity measured by the first photodetector and the intensity measured by the second photodetector, so as to provide a feedback control signal to adjust the wavelength of the emitted light. In one embodiment, the first and second photodetectors are photodetector diodes having a base electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode. The diode is configured to generate an electrical current between the base electrode and the first electrode corresponding to the intensity of light received by the first photodetector and to generate an electrical current between the base electrode and the second electrode corresponding to the intensity of light received by the second photodetector. In still another embodiment, the sample is a back-facet emission emitted by the source, wherein the entire apparatus is disposed on a silicon chip having the frequency discriminating dielectric coating applied directly to its surface.