Patent · US Active

Untappable secure optical fiber link component

US9766407B2 · kind B2 · utility

28Cited by
28References
1Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 7, 2016
Grant dateSep 19, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 7, 2036

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/04
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The inventive configurable optical fiber polarization mode coupler is capable of providing a low-loss, high-coupling coefficient interface with high accuracy and easy alignment between a plurality of optical fibers (or other optical devices) with a first channel-to-channel spacing, and an optical device having a plurality of closely-spaced waveguide interfaces with a second channel-to-channel spacing, where each end of the optical fiber coupler array is configurable to have different channel-to-channel spacing, each matched to a corresponding one of the first and second channel-to-channel spacing, and that are preferably optimized for use with photonic integrated circuits, such as coupling to dense optical input/output interfaces, wafer-level testing, etc. The novel optical coupler array includes a plurality of waveguides (at least one of which may optionally be polarization maintaining), that comprises at least one gradually reduced vanishing core fiber, at least in part embedded within a common housing structure. Advantageously, at least one embodiment of the present invention comprises a physically untappable secure optical fiber link component comprising at least one optical fi…

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