Method and apparatus for chromatic dispersion compensation and dispersion slope compensation in wavelength division multiplexed systems utilizing a channel separator and virtually imaged phased arrays
US6310993A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 22, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 30, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/29349
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for an improved chromatic dispersion compensator. In an apparatus aspect, the present invention includes a channel separator for separating a wavelength division multiplexed light comprising a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels containing undesired chromatic dispersion and dispersion slope; and a plurality of partial-channel-set dispersion compensation devices optically coupled to the channel separator in a cascade arrangement, wherein each partial-channel-set dispersion compensation device includes: a virtually imaged phased array (VIPA) optically coupled to the channel separator, and a light returning device optically coupled to the VIPA, wherein a combination of the VIPA and the light returning device compensates for the undesired chromatic dispersion and dispersion slope by propagating each wavelength of the plurality of channels along a different path length. The controlled difference between the periodicity of each VIPA's group delay response and the periodicity of the channel spacing causes the light of each channel input to the VIPA to acquire a different value of chromatic dispersion from that of every oth…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.