Resonant optical power control device assemblies
First Claim
1. A resonant optical modulator assembly, comprising:
- a. an alignment housing, the housing including a waveguide-alignment groove and a resonator alignment groove;
b. a transmission optical waveguide, the waveguide being positioned within the waveguide alignment groove and secured to the alignment housing, the transmission optical waveguide being arranged for transmitting therethrough an optical signal carried by a waveguide optical mode, the transmission optical waveguide also having an evanescent optical coupling segment;
c. a resonator, the resonator positioned within the resonator alignment groove and secured to the alignment device, the resonator being arranged for supporting a resonator optical mode, the resonator being positioned so that the resonator evanescently optically couples with the transmission optical waveguide coupling segment;
d. an optical modulator, the optical modulator positioned on and secured to the alignment housing, the optical modulator being evanescently optically coupled with the resonator;
e. a modulator controller, the modulator controller being operatively coupled to the optical modulator for modulating, in response to an applied control signal, at least one of;
i) a level of optical power transfer through the evanescent optical coupling between the resonator and the optical modulator;
ii) a level of optical loss of the optical modulator; and
iii) a resonant frequency of the optical modulator thereby enabling controlled modulation of a coupling condition between the transmission optical waveguide and the resonator; and
, f. the waveguide-alignment groove and the resonator-alignment groove being arranged so as to reproducibly establish and stably maintain evanescent optical coupling between the transmission optical waveguide and the resonator and wherein the alignment housing reproducibly establishes and stably maintains evanescent optical coupling between the resonator and the optical modulator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention applies to resonant optical power control device assemblies and methods relating thereto, and includes an alignment device preferably including one or more waveguide-alignment grooves, resonator alignment grooves, and alignment groves for a second optical element including a modulator. One embodiment includes a transmission optical waveguide, a circumferential-mode optical resonator; and a second optical element, optionally including one or more of an optical modulator or a second transmission optical waveguide, and optionally including a modulator optical control element. In this embodiment, the alignment grooves reliably establish and stably maintain evanescent optical coupling between the optical elements positioned in such grooves. A method for assembling a resonant optical power control devices is also disclosed. The method includes: fabricating an alignment substrate having various alignment grooves; positioning and securing the various optical elements in their corresponding alignment grooves so that the resonator and the transmission optical waveguide are optically coupled (through close proximity and/or direct contact between them), and similarly optically coupling the resonator and any second optical element. Alignment grooves in the substrate and/or in one or more of the optical elements are fabricated at proper depths and positions and preferably with mating grooves and/or flanges to enable the optical coupling without extensive active alignment procedures. A modulator can alternatively be provided as an integral component of the resonator, directly on the resonator, or as a separate assembly positioned on and secured with respect to the alignment substrate. The modulator enables control of the resonator, which in turn controls the optical power transmitted through the transsmision optical waveguide and/or the second optical element. Structures may also be provided for suppressing undesired optical modes and/or resonances associated with resonators and/or alignment structures on the optical fiber.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A resonant optical modulator assembly, comprising:
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a. an alignment housing, the housing including a waveguide-alignment groove and a resonator alignment groove;
b. a transmission optical waveguide, the waveguide being positioned within the waveguide alignment groove and secured to the alignment housing, the transmission optical waveguide being arranged for transmitting therethrough an optical signal carried by a waveguide optical mode, the transmission optical waveguide also having an evanescent optical coupling segment;
c. a resonator, the resonator positioned within the resonator alignment groove and secured to the alignment device, the resonator being arranged for supporting a resonator optical mode, the resonator being positioned so that the resonator evanescently optically couples with the transmission optical waveguide coupling segment;
d. an optical modulator, the optical modulator positioned on and secured to the alignment housing, the optical modulator being evanescently optically coupled with the resonator;
e. a modulator controller, the modulator controller being operatively coupled to the optical modulator for modulating, in response to an applied control signal, at least one of;
i) a level of optical power transfer through the evanescent optical coupling between the resonator and the optical modulator;
ii) a level of optical loss of the optical modulator; and
iii) a resonant frequency of the optical modulator thereby enabling controlled modulation of a coupling condition between the transmission optical waveguide and the resonator; and
,f. the waveguide-alignment groove and the resonator-alignment groove being arranged so as to reproducibly establish and stably maintain evanescent optical coupling between the transmission optical waveguide and the resonator and wherein the alignment housing reproducibly establishes and stably maintains evanescent optical coupling between the resonator and the optical modulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for assembling a resonant optical modulator comprising the steps of:
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a. positioning a fiber optic waveguide within a waveguide alignment groove in an alignment housing and securing the waveguide to the alignment groove;
b. positioning a resonator within a resonator alignment groove in on alignment housing and securing the resonator to the alignment groove;
c. positioning and securing an optical modulator on the alignment housing, the optical modulator being operatively coupled to the resonator; and
d. operatively coupling a modulator controller to the optical modulator.
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8. A resonant optical filter assembly for an optical WDM system, comprising:
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a. an alignment housing including a first waveguide-alignment groove, a second waveguide-alignment groove, and a resonator-alignment groove;
b. a first transmission optical waveguide, the first waveguide being positioned within the first waveguide-alignment groove and secured to the alignment housing, and arranged for transmitting therethrough a plurality of optical signals, each carried by a respective waveguide optical mode corresponding to an optical channel of the WDM system, the first transmission optical waveguide having an evanescent optical coupling segment with an evanescent portion of each waveguide optical mode extending transversely beyond a surface of the evanescent optical coupling segment;
c. a second transmission optical waveguide, the second waveguide being positioned within the second waveguide-alignment groove and secured to the alignment housing, and arranged for transmitting therethrough a plurality of optical signals, each carried by a respective waveguide optical mode corresponding to an optical channel of the WDM system, the second transmission optical waveguide having an evanescent optical coupling segment with an evanescent portion of the waveguide optical mode extending transversely beyond a surface of the evanescent optical coupling segment; and
,d. a resonator, the resonator being positioned within the resonator-alignment groove and secured to the alignment housing, and arranged for supporting a resonant optical mode, the resonator being positioned so as to be evanescently optically coupled to the first transmission optical waveguide coupling segment and the second transmission optical waveguide coupling segment. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for assembling a resonant optical filter assembly comprising the steps of:
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a. positioning a first waveguide within a first waveguide-alignment groove on an alignment housing and securing the first waveguide to the alignment housing;
b. positioning a second waveguide within a second waveguide-alignment groove on an alignment housing and securing the second waveguide to the alignment housing; and
,c. positioning the resonator within a resonator-alignment groove on an alignment housing and securing the resonator to the alignment housing.
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Specification