Wavelength tailored dispersion compensation apparatus

• US 6,373,609 B1
• Filed: 06/16/1998
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Mizrahi, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leung, Christina Y
• Application Number:
  US09/098,116
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 359/124, 359/161, 359/127, 359/173, 359/130, 359/128, 359/188, 385/37
• US Class Current: 398/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2932 comprising a directional router, e.g. directional coupler, circulator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29358 Multiple beam interferometer external to a light guide, e.g. Fabry-Pérot, etalon, VIPA plate, OTDL plate, continuous interferometer, parallel plate resonator G02B6/29347, G02B6/29349, G02B6/2935, G02B6/29361 take precedence; resonator evanescently coupled to light guide G02B6/29335
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29361 Interference filters, e.g. multilayer coatings, thin film filters, dichroic splitters or mirrors based on multilayers, WDM filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29377 controlling dispersion around 1550 nm, i.e. S, C, L and U bands from 1460-1675 nm
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29394 Compensating wavelength dispersion G02B6/29376 takes precedence; dispersion compensated optical transmission systems H04B10/2507
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2525 using dispersion-compensating fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2210/258 treating each wavelength or wavelength band separately
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0307 Multiplexers; Demultiplexers

Abstract

An optical device is provided which separates one or more optical channels from a plurality of optical channels, each at a respective wavelength, and provides a length of dispersion compensating fiber for the one or more separated optical channels.

Claims

1. An optical device comprising:

an optical communication path carrying a plurality of optical signals, each at a respective one of a plurality of wavelengths;

a plurality of optical branching units coupled in series along said optical communication path;

a plurality of dispersion compensating fiber segments respectively coupled to corresponding ones of said plurality of optical branching units, each of said plurality of optical signals propagating through at least one of said plurality of dispersion compensating fiber segments; and

an optical multiplexer having a plurality of input ports and an output port, each of said plurality of input ports being coupled to a respective one of said plurality of optical branching units to receive a corresponding one of said plurality of optical signals from a respective one of said optical branching units, each of said plurality of optical signals being output through said output port of said optical multiplexer.

2. An optical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of optical branching units includes a circulator coupled to an in-fiber Bragg grating.

3. An optical device in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of optical branching units includes an optical filter.