Interleaver/deinterleavers causing little or no dispersion of optical signals
US6301046A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 3, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 9, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 3, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/29395
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Interleaver/deinterleavers for combining/separating optical channels. An interleaver/deinterleaver is "folded" when an optical signal follows an optical path that passes through a birefringent element multiple times. Double-pass refers to optical signals following a (folded) path through the birefringent element twice. Multi-pass refers to optical signals following a (folded) path through the birefringent element multiple times. When operating as a deinterleaver, the interleaver/deinterleaver separates an optical signal (e.g., WDM signal) into subsets of optical signals (e.g., even and odd ITU channels). When operating as an interleaver, the interleaver/deinterleaver mixes subsets of optical signals into a multiplexed optical signal. The interleaver/deinterleaver can be used to increase the bandwidth of an optical network. For example, the interleaver/deinterleaver can be used to interface components designed for a first channel spacing (e.g., 100 GHz) to components designed for a second channel spacing (e.g., 200 GHz). Folded interleaver/deinterleavers cause dispersion because the speed at which the ordinary beam of an optical signal passes through the birefringent element is diff…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.