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:
Jan. 22, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1999
David A. G. Deacon, Los Altos, CA (US);
Sparkolor Corporation, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Abstract
The invention has multiple embodiments and applications including a digitally tunable laser source, a tapered waveguide, a lensed waveguide, and a tunable laser array. Also described are methods for making and tuning these devices. The laser source includes materials with negative index of refraction dependence on temperature and with temperature independent coincidence between resonator modes and a set of specified frequencies such as DWDM channels in telecommunications applications. The free spectral range may be adjusted to equal a rational fraction of the specified frequency interval. An advantageous embodiment of a tapered waveguide may be used to efficiently couple different size waveguides, such as in a resonator containing both a semiconductor diode amplifier waveguide and a planar waveguide structure for coupling to an optical fiber. An advantageous embodiment of a lensed planar waveguide may be used to efficiently couple to a different size waveguide such as a semiconductor diode amplifier waveguide.