560 results about "Wavelength channels" patented technology

An optical coupling device including: at least a first input port for delivering an optical input signal beam that includes a plurality of wavelength channels; at least a first optical output port for receiving an optical output signal beam; a wavelength dispersion element for spatially separating the plurality of wavelength channels in the optical input signal beam to form a plurality of spatially separated wavelength channel beams; an optical coupling device for independently modifying the phase of each of the spatially separated wavelength channel beams such that, for at least one wavelength channel beam, a selected fraction of the light is coupled to the first output port and a fraction of the light is coupled away from the first output port.

The present invention provides a continuously tunable external cavity laser (ECL) with a compact form factor and precise tuning to a selected center wavelength of a selected wavelength grid. The ECL may thus be utilized in telecom applications to generate the center wavelengths for any channel on the ITU or other optical grid. The ECL does not require a closed loop feedback. A novel tuning mechanism is disclosed which provides for electrical or mechanical tuning to a known position or electrical parameter, e.g., voltage, current or capacitance, with the required precision in the selected center wavelength arising as a result of a novel arrangement of a grid generator and a channel selector. The grid generator exhibits first pass bands which correspond to the spacing between individual channels of the selected wavelength grid and a finesse which suppresses side band modes of the laser. The channel selector exhibits second pass bands that are wider than the first pass bands. In an embodiment of the invention the second pass bands have a periodicity substantially corresponding with the separation between the shortest wavelength channel and the longest wavelength channel of the selected wavelength grid and a finesse which suppresses channels adjacent to the selected channel. The broad second pass bands of the channel selector reduce the sensitivity of the ECL to tuning variations about the selected channel, thus avoiding the requirement of a closed loop feedback system to control the channel selector.

A reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer is disclosed including an optical splitter receiving an input optical signal and splitting the input optical signal into a dropped optical signal and an express optical signal; a wavelength blocker optically coupled to the optical splitter, the wavelength blocker blocking particular wavelengths in the express optical signal; a cassette having a plurality of slots capable of accepting a plurality of pluggable optical filters; at least one pluggable optical filter optically coupled to the optical splitter, the pluggable optical filter filtering wavelengths so as to output a particular wavelength channel from the dropped optical signal; and an optical combiner optically coupled to the wavelength blocker and to an optical add path on which an optical add signal may be carried, the optical combiner combining the express optical signal having particular wavelengths expressed by the wavelength blocker and the optical add signal.

A SCM-PON using WDM includes: an OLT for transferring downstream data from an external service provider through downstream optical signals and transferring upstream data transferred through upstream optical signals to an outside; an ODN for distributing the downstream optical signals from the OLT and multiplexing the upstream optical signals to the OLT; and a plurality of ONUs for processing the downstream optical signals transferred from the OLT through the ODN and transferring upstream data of subscribers for the OLT through the upstream optical signals, wherein the optical signals between the OLT and the ONUs are divided into wavelength channels with different wavelengths and sub-carrier channels obtained by time-dividing the wavelength channels, and the upstream data and the downstream data are transferred through the sub-carrier channels.

A wavelength selective switch, in which an input optical signal is wavelength-dispersed and polarization-split in two angularly oriented planes. A polarization rotation device, such as a liquid crystal polarization modulator, pixelated along the wave-length dispersive direction such that each pixel operates on a separate wavelength channel, rotates the polarization of the light signal passing through the pixel, according to the control voltage applied to that pixel. The polarization modulated signals are then wave-length -recombined and polarization-recombined by means of similar dispersion and polarization combining components as were used to respectively disperse and split the input signals. The direction of the output signal is determined by whether the polarization of a particular wavelength channel was rotated by the polarization modulator pixel, or not. In this way, a fast, wavelength dependent, optical switch is provided, capable of use in WDM switching applications.

A system for optical communication send optical signals over a plurality of wavelength channels. Each wavelength channel comprises a number of orthogonal subchannel frequencies which are spaced apart from one another by a predetermined amount. Each of the subchannel frequencies is modulated with data from a data stream. The data modulation scheme splits a subchannel frequency code into H and V components, and further processes the components prior to modulation with data. The various data-modulated subchannels are then combined into a single channel for transmission. The received signals are detected and demodulated with the help of a symbol timing recovery module which establishes the beginning and end of each symbol. A polarization mode distortion compensation module at the receiver is used to mitigate the effects to polarization more distortion in the fiber.

The present invention relates to an optical transmission apparatus capable of suppressing a transitional gain variation when a number of signal wavelengths changes, and maintaining communication quality in optical signals. The optical transmission apparatus is provided with an optical power control device that varies light power of light for each wavelength component corresponding to a wavelength channel, the light including signal light and spontaneous emission light; a wavelength arrangement information obtaining unit that obtains arrangement information of the wavelength channel of the signal light; and a control unit that controls the power control device based on the arrangement information obtained at the wavelength arrangement information obtaining unit so that light power of a wavelength component of the signal light and light power of a wavelength component other than the wavelength component of the signal light become substantially equal.

An apparatus and method for synthesizing waveforms with arbitrary amplitude, frequency, and phase modulation. Pulses from a broadband (supercontinuum) optical source are filtered into a plurality of wavelength channels, and the intensity of each wavelength channel is adjusted to an appropriate level depending on the desired shape of the envelope of the output pulse. The envelope of the sampling wavelength channels can be stretched, compressed, or inverted in the time domain later using a dispersive medium. After time domain manipulation, the optical pulse train is observed with a combination of high-speed photodetectors and a radio frequency low-pass filter, a low-speed photodetector.

A method and apparatus for allocating resources of a Visible Light Communication (VLC) terminal in a VLC system. The VLC terminal receives a beacon message from a base station, coordinates time synchronization with the base station, searches for an available wavelength channel, constructs available wavelength channel information, and transmits an initial access request using a basic time slot channel and a basic wavelength channel. The base station considers the available wavelength channel information and a current channel allocation condition, allocates an appropriate channel, and transmits channel allocation information to the VLC terminal. The VLC terminal and the base station communicate data with each other using an allocated time slot channel included in the channel allocation information and an allocated wavelength channel included in the channel allocation information.

An alignment system for a lithographic apparatus has a source of alignment radiation that has a first wavelength and a second wavelength; a detection system that has a first wavelength channel arranged to receive alignment radiation from an alignment mark at the first wavelength and a second wavelength channel arranged to receive alignment radiation from the alignment mark at the second wavelength; and a position determining unit in communication with the detection system. The position determining unit processes information from the first and second wavelength channels in combination to determine a position of the alignment mark based on information from the first wavelength channel, information from the second wavelength channel or combined information from the first and second wavelength channels according to a relative strength of the alignment radiation detected at the first wavelength to alignment radiation detected at the second wavelength. A lithographic apparatus includes the above alignment system. Methods of alignment and manufacturing devices use the above alignment system and lithographic apparatus, respectively.

Multi-wavelength light having a frequency band equal to or greater than the FSR of an AWG is demultiplexed into individual wavelength channels, and power level deviations between wavelength channels are suppressed. An optical demultiplexer includes a wavelength-group demultiplexer that demultiplexes multi-wavelength light into wavelength groups formed from wavelength channels, and channel demultiplexers that demultiplex each wavelength group into wavelength channels light. An optical multiplexer includes channel multiplexers that multiplex modulated signal light of each wavelength channel for each wavelength group, and a wavelength-group multiplexer that multiplexes, for each wavelength group, WDM signal light output from the channel multiplexers. The FSR of the wavelength-group multiplexer / demultiplexer is set to be equal to or greater than the frequency band of the multi-wavelength light. The channel multiplexer / demultiplexer is an AWG in which the FSR is approximately the full width at half maximum of the transmission characteristics of each port of the wavelength-group multiplexer / demultiplexer.

Dispersion compensation devices are described which comprise waveguides including sampled Bragg gratings which exhibit comb-like reflectance characteristics. The profile of effective refractive index along the length of the grating is controlled to adjust the position of the teeth and / or to control the dispersion exhibited by the device (i.e. to control the chirp of the grating). The devices can thus be used to provide dispersion compensation to any one of a number of wavelength channels in a WDM system. In preferred arrangements, the effective refractive index distribution is set by a applying a temperature distribution along the length of the grating, or by setting an applied electric field.

An optical coupling device including: at least a first input port for delivering an optical input signal beam that includes a plurality of wavelength channels; at least a first optical output port for receiving an optical output signal beam; a wavelength dispersion element for spatially separating the plurality of wavelength channels in the optical input signal beam to form a plurality of spatially separated wavelength channel beams; an optical coupling device for independently modifying the phase of each of the spatially separated wavelength channel beams such that, for at least one wavelength channel beam, a selected fraction of the light is coupled to the first output port and a fraction of the light is coupled away from the first output port.

We disclose a network element having one or more OAM components that enable the network element to send and receive in-band service messages without disrupting the flow of user data on the wavelength channel(s) used for the transmission of said in-band service messages. When deployed in a transport plane of a communications network, a plurality of such network elements can advantageously be used to perform various OAM functions that support a link-fault-management mechanism in a manner that complements and strengthens the existing OAM capabilities, particularly at various intermediate points within the optical network path(s).

In a Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (WDM-PON) including, a system for distributing uplink, downlink and RF / Video broadcast signalling. An Array Waveguide Grating (AWG) couples respective wavelength channels between a trunk fibre of the WDM-PON and a plurality of branch fibers of the WDM-PON. The AWG has a predetermined free spectral range and implements a channel plan comprising at least three spectral segments, each segment having a width equal to the free spectral range of the AWG. An Optical Line Terminal of the WDM-PON receives wavelength division multiplexed uplink signals within a first one of the spectral segments, and transmits wavelength division multiplexed downlink signals within a second one of the spectral segments. Respective channel plans within the first and second spectral segments are identical. An RF / Video broadcast transmitter generates an RF / Video broadcast signal within a third one of the spectral segments.

By steering wanted diffraction orders within a concentrated angular region and steering all unwanted diffraction orders outside that region, a wavelength selective switch achieves high port isolation and densely spaced ports. N inputs receive an optical signal. Optics spatially separate and direct wavelength channels from the signal. A phased array switching engine comprising cells steers a wanted diffraction order of each spatially separated wavelength channel from each cell at an angle within a concentrated angular region relative to the PASE, and steers all unwanted diffraction orders of spatially separated wavelength channels from cells outside the concentrated angular region. Optics direct each wanted diffraction order to one of N outputs in accordance with the steering of the wanted diffraction orders by the PASE. The concentrated angular region is defined by a largest and smallest steering angle wherein the largest steering angle is a margin less than the smallest steering angle.

A M×N wavelength selective switch (WSS) module capable of independently routing any wavelength channel from any input port to any output port is provided. The M×N WSS includes a first beam relayer including first and second elements having optical power, each of which is disposed such that light transmitted to or from a first plurality of ports passes through a common point. The M×N WSS also includes a wavelength dispersive element, a first switching array having M rows including K switching elements, a second beam relayer, and a second switching array including N switching elements. The second switching array includes an optical by-pass disposed at the common point, which provides means for separating the input and output beams of light, and which allows both the input and output optical beams to traverse similar paths throughout the optical train.

The present invention describes methods and apparatus for reliably assuring that correct mirror currents are selected during a channel switch to achieve the desired wavelength channel, based on feedback from either internal or external means combined with a mode map obtained at a time zero calibration.

A wavelength selective switch of the invention, separates WDM light coming out from an input fiber of a fiber collimator array according to its wavelength, in a diffraction grating, and reflects each wavelength channel proceeding in different directions by MEMS mirrors corresponding to a mirror array. In the MEMS mirrors, the angles of their reflecting surfaces are set corresponding to the location of the output port which is set in the output address of the wavelength channel to be injected. For each of the wavelength channels that reach the target output port, one part of each is reflected by the end face of an output fiber, and the reflected light is returned to the input port, and sent to a channel monitor via an optical circulator, so that the optical power corresponding to each wavelength channel is monitored. As a result it is possible to provide a small size, and low-cost, wavelength selective switch, that can monitor the power of each wavelength channel guided to a plurality of output ports, with good accuracy.

One embodiment provides an intelligent passive optical network (PON) node. The intelligent PON node includes a number of optical line terminal (OLT)-side transceivers coupled to a first optical fiber, a number of optical network unit (ONU)-side transceivers, a switching mechanism configured to couple the OLT-side transceivers and the ONU-side transceivers, and a controller configured to control the coupling operation of the switching mechanism. The OLT-side transceivers are configured to transmit optical signals on a number of wavelength channels to and receive optical signals on a number of wavelength channels from the OLT. A respective ONU-side transceiver is configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from a downstream PON.

Optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) monitoring methods and apparatus are described. A tunable optical filter filters an optical channel containing an optical signal and noise. The total signal and noise power at the output of the filter is measured as the transmittance passband of the filter is varied and the maximum and minimum powers are determined. The ratio between the maximum and minimum powers is then used to determine the OSNR of the optical channel, which, for example, can be a wavelength channel in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system. The ratio of the maximum signal power to the minimum signal power and the ratio of the maximum noise power to the minimum noise power are pre-determined based on the signal modulation format type and filter passband characteristics. Because the OSNR monitoring method and apparatus rely on information obtained after spectrally filtering the signal and noise, their operation is independent of any transmission effect that does not affect the optical power spectra of the signal and the noise or affects them in a known manner. For example, effects such as chromatic dispersion (CD), polarization-mode dispersion (PMD), and changes in the signal degree of polarization (DOP) and noise DOP will not affect the OSNR reading thus obtained.

A centrally-managed, colorless, bi-directional wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network (WDM-PON) architecture. The WDM-PON architecture is self-survivable, and can protect network failures in, for example, distribution / feeder fiber, remote node and laser failure. The WDM-PON architecture requires only N-wavelength channels for N optical network units.

An inverse dispersion fiber having a large effective area and a transmission system that incorporates the fiber for providing dispersion and dispersion slope compensation in a transmission fiber. The large-effective-area inverse dispersion optical fiber (IDF) has a negative dispersion and a negative dispersion slope. The effective area, Aeff, of the IDF preferably is greater than approximately 31 micrometers squared (μm2) at a transmission wavelength of approximately 1550 nm. The large-effective-area IDF is suitable for use with super-large-effective-area (SLA) transmission fiber for compensating dispersion in the SLA transmission fiber while reducing nonlinear effects between wavelength channels and cabling loss, which is especially advantageous in transoceanic and long-haul terrestrial systems. These nonlinear effects are inversely related to the effective area of the fiber (i.e., nonlinearities˜1 / Aeff). Thus, an increase in the effective area of the fiber translates into a decrease in nonlinear interactions, which increases bandwidth capabilities and limits signal degradation. Furthermore, the large-effective-area IDF of the present invention has very desirable transmission properties. The present invention also provides a transmission system comprising at least one of the large-effective-area IDF optical fibers of the present invention. Furthermore, Aeff can be made large without having to increase the ratio, Ra, of the diameter of the core to the diameter of the trench region.

The present invention is a wavelength-selective optical switching system. The switching system includes an input waveguide designated as waveguide WG(0) for receiving a multiplexed optical signal comprising optical signals transmitted over a plurality of wavelength channels represented by λ1, λ2, λ3, , λN, where N is a positive integer wherein the input waveguide extending over a first direction. The switching system further includes a two dimensional waveguide array comprising a plurality of first direction waveguides WG(i), i=1, 2, 3, , M extending over the first direction substantially parallel to the input waveguide WG(0) where M is a positive integer and a plurality of second direction waveguides WG′(j), j=1, 2, 3, N, extending over a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and intersecting with the input waveguide and each of the first direction waveguide WG(i), i=0, 1, 2, 3, ,M, thus forming (M+1)×N intersections. The switching system further includes a plurality of wavelength selective grating-based switches SW(i, j) where i=0, 1, 2, 3, , M and j=1, 2, 3, , N, each disposed on one of the (M+1)×N intersections for selectively transmitting an optical signal of wavelength λj into a waveguide WG′(j) and for selectively transmitting an optical signal of a predefined combination of wavelengths into at least one of the waveguide WG(i) for i=1, 2, 3, M.

An optical network includes interconnected via an NxN WDM router. The nodes are connected to an optical waveguide ring having a duplex structure. A first set of optical waveguides connects the transmitters in the nodes and a second set of optical waveguides connects the receivers in the nodes. The NxN wavelength router is connected across the ring between the first set of optical waveguides and the second set of optical waveguides. Each of the nodes is able to communicate with any other of the nodes on a respective wavelength channel via the router.

The present invention relates to optical communication apparatuses such as OADM node, or OXC node. A receiving dispersion compensating module adjusts the accumulated dispersion of a wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signal such that the accumulated dispersion has an optimum value at a receiver for receiving optical signals in respective wavelength channels which are dropped from the wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signal. An auxiliary dispersion compensating module is provided in a path for an added wavelength group. The auxiliary dispersion compensating module applies the same value of dispersion as the accumulated dispersion adjusted by the receiving dispersion compensating module, to a wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signal in the added wavelength group. Therefore, the accumulated dispersion of a dropped wavelength group has an optimum value, and the accumulated dispersion of a through wavelength group and the accumulated dispersion of the added wavelength group are equalized to each other in a multiplexer.