Dual beam splitter optical micro-components and systems and methods employing same

Abstract

A micro-optic dual beam-splitter assembly comprises at least two beam-splitter optical filters and at least one photoreceptor. Each of the beam-splitter optical filters comprises an optical substrate having at least a coated or uncoated optical tap surface and a filter surface carrying a thin-film optical filter. The thin-film optical filters are substantially normal to the optical path from an optical signal source. Each of the optical tap surfaces is operative as an optical beam splitter to tap off an optical tap signal. The one or more photoreceptors are arranged to receive both or at least one of the optical tap signals. The tap signals comprise a portion of the optical signals passed along the optical path to the optical filter chips. The filter chips are cooperatively transmissive to an optical signal output port of a selected set of wavelengths received from the optical signal source along the optical path, and are reflective of other wavelengths. Each of the one or more photoreceptors are operative to pass tap signals to a corresponding tap signal output port, either as optical or electrical signals. Various different embodiments of the disclosed micro-optic dual beam-splitter assemblies are useful as TOSAs, ROSAs, gain-flattening filters for optical amplifiers, or other applications.