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:
Nov. 12, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 03, 2000
Narinder S. Kapany, Woodside, CA (US);
Lew Stolpner, Mountain View, CA (US);
K2 Optronics, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A tunable laser system comprises an externalcavity laser diode in combination with an optically coupled waveguide having a Bragg grating formed therein. The laser diode provides a gain medium characterized by a first band of wavelengths. A portion of the fiber and the grating help define an external resonant cavity. The grating limits the wavelengths exiting the external cavity to a second band that is typically much narrower than the first band. The grating region of the waveguide is thermally coupled to a heating element having an associated temperature controller for controllably varying the temperature of the grating region and thus changing the optical pitch of the grating and thus the second band. The grating region of the waveguide can alternatively, or additionally, be subjected to acoustic energy to change the optical pitch of the grating.