Wavelength tunable optical sources, filters and detectors
US10816792B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 2016 |
| Grant date | Oct 27, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 5, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/124
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has enabled telecommunication service providers to fully exploit the transmission capacity of optical fibers. State of the art systems in long-haul networks now have aggregated capacities of terabits per second. Moreover, by providing multiple independent multi-gigabit channels, WDM technologies offer service providers with a straight forward way to build networks and expand networks to support multiple clients with different requirements. In order to reduce costs, enhance network flexibility, reduce spares, and provide re-configurability many service providers have migrated away from fixed wavelength transmitters, receivers, and transceivers, to wavelength tunable transmitters, receivers, and transceivers as well as wavelength dependent add-drop multiplexer, space switches etc. However, to meet the competing demands for improved performance, increased integration, reduced footprint, reduced power consumption, increased flexibility, re-configurability, and lower cost it is desirable to exploit/adopt monolithic optical circuit technologies, hybrid optoelectronic integration, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.