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:
Aug. 28, 2007
Filed:
Feb. 11, 2002
Markus P. Hehlen, Los Gatos, CA (US);
William K. Bischel, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Markus P. Hehlen, Los Gatos, CA (US);
William K. Bischel, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Gemfire Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
An integrated isolator array is provided having a plurality of waveguides fabricated in a planar optical substrate, each waveguide having input and output sections. An isolator subassembly is received within a transverse trench formed in the substrate between the input and output sections such that it intersects the optical paths of the waveguides. The isolator subassembly, which may consist of layers of Faraday rotator material sandwiched between layers of birefringent crystal material, permits the forward passage of light from the input sections to the output sections of the waveguides while preventing the backward passage of light from the output to the input sections. Each waveguide input section is preferably adapted with a mode-expanding input taper to collimate light propagating through the waveguide. Similarly, each output section is preferably adapted with a mode-reducing output taper to reduce the mode size of forward-traveling light to match that of an output fiber, as well as to collimate light traveling backward within the output section.