Acousto-optic devices utilizing longitudinal acoustic waves
First Claim
1. An acousto-optic filter, comprising:
- an optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, a core and a cladding in a surrounding relationship to the core, the optical fiber having multiple cladding modes;
an acoustic wave generator made of a sufficiently high frequency piezoelectric material to produce a longitudinal acoustic wave;
an acoustic wave propagation member with a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being coupled to the optical fiber and the proximal end being coupled to the acoustic wave generator, wherein the acoustic wave propagation member propagates the longitudinal acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal end and excites the longitudinal acoustic wave in the optical fiber, wherein the longitudinal acoustic wave to effect mode coupling of one or more wavelengths in an optical signal that propagates through the optical fiber in order to filter the optical signal.
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Abstract
An acousto-optic filter includes an optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, a core and a cladding in a surrounding relationship to the core. The optical fiber has multiple cladding modes. At least one acoustic wave generator is included and made of a sufficiently high frequency piezoelectric material to produce a longitudinal acoustic wave. An acoustic wave propagation member has proximal and distal ends. The distal end is coupled to the optical fiber and the proximal end is coupled to the acoustic wave generator. The acoustic wave propagation member propagates the longitudinal acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal ends and excites the longitudinal acoustic wave in the optical fiber.
48 Citations
36 Claims
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1. An acousto-optic filter, comprising:
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an optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, a core and a cladding in a surrounding relationship to the core, the optical fiber having multiple cladding modes;
an acoustic wave generator made of a sufficiently high frequency piezoelectric material to produce a longitudinal acoustic wave;
an acoustic wave propagation member with a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being coupled to the optical fiber and the proximal end being coupled to the acoustic wave generator, wherein the acoustic wave propagation member propagates the longitudinal acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal end and excites the longitudinal acoustic wave in the optical fiber, wherein the longitudinal acoustic wave to effect mode coupling of one or more wavelengths in an optical signal that propagates through the optical fiber in order to filter the optical signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
an acoustic damper affixed to the optical fiber.
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11. The filter of claim 10, wherein the acoustic damper includes a jacketing material positioned in a surrounding relationship to the optical fiber.
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12. The filter of claim 1, further comprising:
a heatsink with a proximal face and a distal face that is affixed to the acoustic wave generator, wherein the acoustic wave generator is positioned between the acoustic wave propagation member and the heatsink.
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13. The acousto-optic filter of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric material includes lithium niobate.
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14. The acousto-optic filter of claim 2, wherein the piezoelectric material includes lithium niobate.
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15. The acousto-optic filter of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric material includes zinc oxide.
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16. The acousto-optic filter of claim 2, wherein the piezoelectric material includes zinc oxide.
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17. The acousto-optic filter of claim 1, wherein the core, in a region of the optical fiber where the longitudinal acoustic wave interacts with the optical signal, possess a first acoustic impedance different than a second acoustic impedance of the cladding.
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18. The acousto-optic filter of claim 1, wherein the core is acoustically isolated from the cladding in a region of the optical fiber where the longitudinal acoustic wave interacts with the optical signal.
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19. A method, comprising:
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transmitting a longitudinal acoustic wave along an optical fiber having an optical signal propagating through the optical fiber; and
microbending the optical fiber with the longitudinal acoustic wave to mode couple one or more wavelengths in the optical signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 23)
generating multiple acoustic signals with individual controllable strengths and frequencies to propagate one or more longitudinal acoustic waves.
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21. The method of claim 19, wherein a core of the optical fiber is acoustically isolated from a cladding of the optical fiber in order to increase mode coupling efficiency.
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23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:
means for generating multiple acoustic signals with individual controllable strengths and frequencies to propagate one or more longitudinal acoustic waves.
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22. An apparatus, comprising:
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an optical fiber to propagate an optical signal through the optical fiber;
means for transmitting a longitudinal acoustic wave along the optical fiber; and
means for microbending the optical fiber with the longitudinal acoustic wave to mode couple one or more wavelengths in the optical signal.
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24. An acousto-optic filter, comprising:
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an acoustic wave generator made of a sufficiently high frequency piezoelectric material to produce a longitudinal acoustic wave; and
an acoustic wave propagation member affixed to the acoustic wave generator, the acoustic wave propagation member affixed to an optical fiber, the longitudinal acoustic wave to effect mode coupling of one or more wavelengths in an optical signal that propagates through the optical fiber in order to filter the optical signal. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
a radio frequency signal generator affixed to the acoustic wave generator, wherein the radio frequency signal generator to generate multiple signals with individual controllable strengths and frequencies.
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28. The acousto-optic filter of claim 25, wherein the piezoelectric material includes lithium niobate.
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29. The acousto-optic filter of claim 25, wherein the piezoelectric material includes zinc oxide.
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30. The acousto-optic filter claim 24, wherein the optical fiber has a core and a cladding, wherein the core is acoustically isolated from the cladding.
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31. An optical system, comprising:
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one or more acousto-optic filters, wherein each acousto-optic filter has an acoustic wave generator made of a sufficiently high frequency piezoelectric material to produce a longitudinal acoustic wave, and an acoustic wave propagation member affixed to the acoustic wave generator; and
an optical fiber affixed to the acoustic wave propagation member, wherein the longitudinal acoustic wave to effect mode coupling of one or more wavelengths in an optical signal that propagates through the optical fiber in order to filter the optical signal. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. An acousto-optic filter, comprising:
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an optical fiber having a core;
an acoustic wave generator made of a piezoelectric material to produce a longitudinal wave that effects acoustic mode coupling that has some curvature in the displacement distribution near the core in order to filter an optical signal that propagates through the optical fiber; and
an acoustic wave propagation member affixed to the acoustic wave generator;
the acoustic wave propagation member affixed to the optical fiber.- View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification