Optical routing/switching based on control of waveguide-ring resonator coupling6/023
First Claim
1. An optical wave power control device for varying the transmitted power at at least one optical frequency (i.e., optical carrier wave) on at least one optical wave power transmission member, comprising:
- an optical wave transmission member configured for propagating optical power at at least one optical frequency;
at least one circulating mode resonator, said resonator disposed to couple wave power from and/or to said transmission member; and
, at least one controller, each said controller in operative relationship with a different one of said resonators so as to vary the effect of said resonator on the optical power in said wave transmission member in response to a control signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical wave power control device and method enables signal control, such as modulation transferring and switching, to be effected with the application of very low power to a controller which is in optical communication with a recirculating mode resonator and an optical propagation element. The propagation element is configured such that is in power communication with a high Q volumetric resonator. Power of a chosen resonant wavelength is coupled into said resonator, where it circulates with very low loss and returns energy to the propagation element. By introducing a control signal into the controller, the propagated power can be varied between substantially full and substantially zero amplitudes. Loss factors can be maintained such that said resonator is overcoupled, i.e. parasitic losses are less than coupling losses, and a critical coupling condition exists in which a small swing in the controller causes a disproportionate change in the optical output signal. The controller is preferably effectuated by an interferometer in the optical path of said resonator and a control signal, which can be an applied voltage, current or optical signal.
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Citations
137 Claims
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1. An optical wave power control device for varying the transmitted power at at least one optical frequency (i.e., optical carrier wave) on at least one optical wave power transmission member, comprising:
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an optical wave transmission member configured for propagating optical power at at least one optical frequency;
at least one circulating mode resonator, said resonator disposed to couple wave power from and/or to said transmission member; and
,at least one controller, each said controller in operative relationship with a different one of said resonators so as to vary the effect of said resonator on the optical power in said wave transmission member in response to a control signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131)
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58. An optical power control device, comprising:
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a continuous length of an optical waveguide arranged for transporting at least one optical wave;
at least one high Q optical wave recirculating device in communication with the waveguide for exchanging wave power therewith, and a wave power controller in optical communication with the at least one circulating mode device for varying the wave power returned to said waveguide from said optical recirculating device, said wave power controller including at least one interferometer in the optical path of said recirculating device, and which interferometer is arranged to respond to a control signal. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. An optical wave transmission control for in-line variation of power transmission on an optical waveguide, comprising:
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a low loss optical wave power recirculating device having a periphery adjacent to the optical waveguide in a relation to couple wave power therefrom, said recirculating device also returning wave power to the optical waveguide, and a variable coupling device operating with said recirculating device for varying the power returned to the optical waveguide from said recirculating device to vary power transmission on the optical waveguide without introducing discontinuities into the waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70)
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71. The method of modifying the power level of a mono-wavelength signal in an optical waveguide comprising the steps of:
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transferring a part of the power transmitted along the waveguide into a whispering gallery mode resonant at the transmitted wavelength;
returning power to the optical waveguide from circulating mode resonator; and
,introducing a controllable loss in the power of said resonator to modify the power level in the transmitted signal in the waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 132, 133)
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78. A method of modulating or switching light at a single wavelength along a continuous optical waveguide comprising the steps of:
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propagating a guided part of the optical power along the waveguide;
transferring a portion of the power that is inside the waveguide into a high Q recirculating path;
returning power from the recirculating path to the optical waveguide; and
introducing loss to the recirculating power in controlled fashion to modulate the power propagated along the waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 134, 135, 136, 137)
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85. A modulator for use with an optical fiber transmission system, comprising:
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an optical fiber;
an optical resonator in communication with said optical fiber for said transmission of optical power from said fiber to said resonator and back again to said fiber, said resonator being configured to be resonant and to generate internal recirculating modes at the selected nominal frequency of the optical power being transmitted by said waveguide; and
,a loss controller including an interferometer in the optical path of said resonator, for introducing a loss as the modes recirculate to thereby either establish critical coupling of a previously overcoupled resonator or establish undercoupling of a previously critically coupled resonator. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87)
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88. A system for generating and controlling multiple optical signals of different wavelengths on a single optical waveguide capable of propagating multiple wavelengths within a chosen bandwidth, comprising:
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an optical waveguide including at least two in-waveguide optical power sources operating at different wavelengths in the chosen bandwidth;
at least two optical resonators, each being resonant at a different one of the wavelengths in the chosen bandwidth and each being disposed in coupling relation to a different integral length of said optical waveguide and coupled thereto; and
,a control system optically coupled to each of said resonators for controlling power loss thereat, whereby propagated power at different wavelengths is separately controlled in the single optical waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
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95. In an optical system for introducing a variable optical power transmission in an optical waveguide in communication with an optical wave resonator, the improvement comprising:
including an interferometer responsive to an external stimulus in the optical path of said resonator for controlling the coupling between the waveguide and said resonator, K′
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99. A. In an optical system for introducing a variable optical power transmission in an optical waveguide in communication with an optical wave resonator, the improvement comprising:
including an interferometer responsive to an external stimulus in the optical path of said resonator for controlling the internal loss of said resonator, α
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103. An optical wave power control device for varying the transmitted power at at least one optical frequency (i.e., optical carrier wave) on an optical wave power transmission member comprising:
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An optical wave transmission member configured for propagating and guiding optical power at at least one optical frequency;
At least one optical wave resonator disposed in coupling relation to said transmission member, positioned to couple wave power from and to said member, and in frequency resonance with a selected optical wave propagating on said transmission member;
At least one controller, each in operative relationship to a different one of said resonators, for varying a property of said respective resonator such that the optical wave transmitted in said wave transmission member is varied in power level. - View Dependent Claims (104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125)
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Specification