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:
Apr. 15, 2008
Filed:
Dec. 22, 2006
Pingfan P. Wu, Willingboro, NJ (US);
Liang-ju LU, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Zhicheng Yang, Burnsville, MN (US);
Boying Barry Zhang, Lawrenceville, NJ (US);
Pingfan P. Wu, Willingboro, NJ (US);
Liang-Ju Lu, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Zhicheng Yang, Burnsville, MN (US);
Boying Barry Zhang, Lawrenceville, NJ (US);
ADC Telecommunications, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a device for use in a fiber optic system that may be a communication system, a sensing system or other system using guided-wave optical components. Reducing the number of lenses required to couple the waveguides and the free-space paths in the device offers the dual advantages of a reduced component count and simplified alignment. In an exemplary device having a first and second waveguides, a birefringent optical system defines bi-directional, polarization-dependent free-space paths. One of the bidirectional, polarization-dependent, free-space paths couples at least the first waveguide to the second waveguide. The birefringent optical system includes at least one prism for bending one of the polarization-dependent paths in a clockwise direction and one of the polarization-dependent paths in a counterclockwise direction.