Nonlinear optical loop mirror device including dispersion decreasing fiber
First Claim
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1. An optical fiber apparatus for use with optical pulses, comprising:
- a) an optical fiber including a first end having a relatively high dispersion and a second end having a relatively low dispersion, said fiber having a dispersion which decreases monotonically from said first end to said second end;
b) an optical coupler having first and second I/O ports and first and second loop ports, said first and second loop ports being connected to the first and second ends of said fiber to form said fiber into a loop, said coupler serving as means for;
(i) dividing an input pulse entering one of said I/O ports into component pulses which propagate in opposite directions around said loop, and(ii) receiving component pulses returning to said coupler after propagating around said loop and dividing the energy of the returning component pulses between said first and second I/O ports in accordance with the relative phases thereof.
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Abstract
A nonlinear optical loop mirror device having a distributed directional asymmetry. A dispersion decreasing optical fiber is formed into a loop by an optical coupler which divides input pulses into two component pulses that propagate around the loop in opposite directions, and which transmits and/or reflects returning component pulses in accordance with their relative phases. The parameters of the loop, such as its length, effective area, rate of change of dispersion, etc. are selected so that input pulses may be switched or transmitted in accordance with whether their widths or amplitudes are above or below predetermined threshold values.
53 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An optical fiber apparatus for use with optical pulses, comprising:
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a) an optical fiber including a first end having a relatively high dispersion and a second end having a relatively low dispersion, said fiber having a dispersion which decreases monotonically from said first end to said second end; b) an optical coupler having first and second I/O ports and first and second loop ports, said first and second loop ports being connected to the first and second ends of said fiber to form said fiber into a loop, said coupler serving as means for; (i) dividing an input pulse entering one of said I/O ports into component pulses which propagate in opposite directions around said loop, and (ii) receiving component pulses returning to said coupler after propagating around said loop and dividing the energy of the returning component pulses between said first and second I/O ports in accordance with the relative phases thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An optical fiber apparatus for use with optical pulses, comprising:
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a) an optical fiber having a first, high dispersion end and a second, low dispersion end, said fiber having a dispersion value which decreases as a monotonic function of the distance from said first end of said fiber; b) an optical coupler having first and second I/O ports and first and second loop ports, said first and second loop ports being connected to the first and second ends of said fiber to form said fiber into a loop, said coupler serving to; (i) divide an input pulse entering one of said I/O ports into two component pulses which counterpropagate around said loop, and (ii) receive component pulses returning to said coupler after propagating around said loop and divide the energy of the received pulses between said first and second I/O ports in accordance with the relative phases thereof; c) wherein the length of said loop, the effective area of said fiber, the indexes of refraction of said fiber, the dispersion values at the first and second ends of said fiber, and the mathematical form and coefficients of said monotonic function comprise a set of loop parameters, and wherein the amplitude and temporal width of said input pulse comprise a set of pulse parameters; d) said loop differentially affecting said counterpropagating pulses so that said loop parameters cause the energy of the received pulses to be divided between said I/O ports in accordance with said pulse parameters. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification