Method for tuning a fiber optic component

• US 7,327,909 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. (Elevate Entertainment, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. (Elevate Entertainment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanner, Allen H., Marceau, David, Williams, Forrest L., Elkins, Dennis F.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIANNI, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US11/388,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 385/12, 385/5, 385/14
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02171 characterised by means for compensating environmentally induced changes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/022 using mechanical stress, e.g. tuning by compression or elongation, special geometrical shapes such as "dog-bone" or taper G02B6/02204 takes precedence; optical modulation using photo-elastic effect G02F1/0131
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0115 in optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0134 in optical waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0147 based on thermo-optic effects G02F1/132 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/307 Reflective grating, i.e. Bragg grating
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0612 controlled by temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/12 the resonator having a periodic structure, e.g. in distributed feedback [DFB] lasers comprising a photonic bandgap structure H01S5/11; surface-emitting lasers H01S5/18

Abstract

A tunable fiber optic component providing environmental isolation, thermal tuning, and mechanical tuning and a method of tuning a fiber optic component using application of substantially simultaneous varying of temperature and mechanical strain is disclosed. A method of using a tunable fiber optic component, for example, a distributed feedback fiber laser, to compensate variations in an optical system, and a method of making a tunable fiber optic component are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of tuning the optical frequency of a fiber optic component comprising the steps of:

a) operating the fiber optic component in an optical system;

b) controlling temperature of the fiber optic component to affect the optical frequency of the fiber optic component;

while

c) substantially simultaneously controlling mechanical strain applied to the fiber optic component through an electronically-activated tensioning structure to affect the optical frequency of the fiber optic component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) comprises changing optical frequency of the fiber optic component to compensate for slowly changing variations in the optical system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) comprises changing optical frequency of the fiber optic component to compensate for large variations in the optical system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the variations are greater than about 1 GHz.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) comprises changing the optical frequency of the fiber optic component to compensate for rapidly changing variations in the optical system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) comprises changing the optical frequency of the fiber optic component to compensate for small variations in the optical system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the variations are less than about 1 GHz.

8. The method of claim 1, where a rate of changes in the temperature of the fiber optic component is in the range of about 0 to 5 Hz.

9. The method of claim 1, where a rate of changes in the mechanical strain of the fiber optic component is in the range of about 0 to 500 kHz.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising d) selecting a length of the fiber optic component to provide a particular mechanical natural frequency and optical linewidth, wherein the fiber optic component is a distributed feedback fiber laser.

11. A method of tuning the optical frequency of a fiber optic component comprising the steps of:

a) operating the fiber optic component in an optical system; and

b) varying temperature of the fiber optic component;

while

c) substantially simultaneously applying variable mechanical strain to the fiber optic component, where a rate of changes in the temperature of the fiber optic component is in the range of about 0 to 5 Hz.

12. The method of claim 11, where a rate of changes in the mechanical strain of the fiber optic component is in the range of about 0 to 500 kHz.

13. The method of claim 11, where step (b) comprises changing optical frequency of the fiber optic component to compensate for variations of greater than about 1 GHz in the optical system.

14. The method of claim 11, where step (c) comprises changing optical frequency of the fiber optic component to compensate for variations of less than about 1 GHz in the optical system.

15. A method of tuning the optical frequency of a fiber optic component comprising the steps of:

a) operating the fiber optic component in an optical system;

b) varying temperature of the fiber optic component;

while

c) substantially simultaneously applying variable mechanical strain to the fiber optic component; and

d) selecting a length of the fiber optic component to provide a particular mechanical natural frequency and optical linewidth, wherein the fiber optic component is a distributed feedback fiber laser.

16. The method of claim 15, where a rate of changes in the temperature of the fiber optic component is in the range of about 0 to 5 Hz and a rate of changes in the mechanical strain of the fiber optic component is in the range of about 0 to 500 kHz.

17. The method of claim 15, where step (b) comprises changing optical frequency of the fiber optic component to compensate for variations of greater than about 1 GHz in the optical system.

18. The method of claim 15, where step (c) comprises changing optical frequency of the fiber optic component to compensate for variations of less than about 1 GHz in the optical system.