Patent · US Expired

Method, apparatus, and system for compensation of amplifier gain slope and chromatic dispersion utilizing a virtually imaged phased array

US6668115B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
9References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 2000
Grant dateDec 23, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 2, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/32
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved gain slope equalizer which provides variable optical attenuation. The gain slope equalizer includes a transmission diffraction grating with a first side and a second side; a first lens optically coupled to the second side of the transmission diffraction grating; and at least one reflective surface optically coupled to the first lens at a side opposite to the transmission diffraction grating. The gain slope equalizer in accordance with the present invention can also be used with a Virtually Imaged Phased Array (VIPA) to provide a chromatic dispersion slope and chromatic dispersion compensation as well as variable optical attenuation. The present invention provides the heretofore unavailable capability of simultaneous tunable gain slope equalization and chromatic dispersion compensation utilizing a single apparatus.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.