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:
Mar. 26, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 19, 2000
Mark R. Fernald, Enfield, CT (US);
Timothy J. Bailey, Longmeadow, MA (US);
Matthew B. Miller, Glastonbury, CT (US);
James M. Sullivan, Manchester, CT (US);
Michael A. Davis, Glastonbury, CT (US);
Robert N. Brucato, Waterbury, CT (US);
Martin A. Putnam, Cheshire, CT (US);
Alan D. Kersey, South Glastonbury, CT (US);
Paul E. Sanders, Madison, CT (US);
CiDRA Corporation, Wallingford, CT (US);
Abstract
A compression-tuned bragg grating includes a tunable optical element which includes either an optical fiber having at least one Bragg grating impressed therein encased within and fused to at least a portion of a glass capillary tube or a large diameter waveguide grating having a core and a wide cladding. Light is incident on the grating and light is reflected at a reflection wavelength &lgr;1. The tunable element is axially compressed which causes a shift in the reflection wavelength of the grating without buckling the element. The shape of the element may be other geometries (e.g., a “dogbone” shape) and/or more than one grating or pair of gratings may be used and more than one fiber or core may be used. At least a portion of the element may be doped between a pair of gratings , to form a compression-tuned laser or the grating or gratings may be constructed as a tunable DFB laser. Also, the element may have an inner tapered region or tapered (or fluted) sections . The compression may be done by a PZT, stepper motor or other actuator or fluid pressure.