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:
Dec. 21, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 15, 2002
Timothy J. Bailey, Longmeadow, MA (US);
Martin A. Putnam, Cheshire, CT (US);
Jay W. Dawson, Livermore, CA (US);
Joseph Pinto, Wallingford, CT (US);
James S. Sirkis, Wallingford, CT (US);
Paul S. Szczepanek, Middletown, CT (US);
CiDRA Corporation, Wallingford, CT (US);
Abstract
An optical filter for filtering a spectral profile of an optical signal for providing an output signal having a desire gain profile, such as a flatten gain profile. The filter comprises an optical waveguide that includes a core disposed within a cladding having an outer dimension greater than 0.3 mm. A Bragg grating is imparted or written in the core of the waveguide that attenuates the received optical input signal in accordance with a defined reflection or transmission filter profile. The Bragg grating may be a slanted grating. The filter profile is complementary to the spectral gain profile of the input signal to provide an output signal having a substantially flat spectral profile of a desired wavelength band. The cladding of the waveguide may have a mechanically advantageous outer geometry (e.g., a “dogbone” shape) for allowing an axial compressive force to tune the Bragg grating. The waveguide may be package within an athermal device, which tunes the grating to compensate for temperature dependent changes. Further, the waveguide may be packaged in a tuning device to selective tune the gratings to shift the center wavelength of the spectral profile of the filter, or to change the shape of the filter profile.