Optical calibration system and method
First Claim
1. A method of compensating for phase distortions, in an optical system including:
- an optical input port for projecting an input optical signal onto an optical phased matrix array,an optical phased matrix array including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon, each said pixel being drivable within a prescribed range of levels, andan optical output port for collecting a predetermined fraction of said optical signal received from said optical phased matrix array;
the method including the steps of;
(a) determining a plurality of transfer functions relating said level of each said pixel to the phase variation each said pixel introduces to light from said input optical signal which is incident thereon;
(b) controlling the level of selected ones of said pixels in accordance with a corresponding transfer function such that a fractional signal received at said output port is modified in phase to substantially compensate for optical phase distortions arising from said optical phased matrix array;
(c) determining a transfer function relating a wavelength signal to the pixels they are incident thereon; and
(d) associating selected ones of said pixels in accordance with said transfer function to said wavelength signals such that the phase of selected wavelength signals can be independently modified in accordance with requirements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an optical system including an optical input port for projecting an input optical signal onto an optical phased matrix array, an optical phased matrix array including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon, each said pixel being drivable within a prescribed range of levels, and an optical output port for collecting a predetermined fraction of said optical signal received from said optical phased matrix array; a method of compensating for phase distortions including the steps of: (a) determining a plurality of transfer functions relating said level of each said pixel to the phase variation each said pixel introduces to light from said input optical signal which is incident thereon; and (b) controlling the level of selected ones of said pixels in accordance with a corresponding transfer function such that said fractional signal received at said output port is modified in phase to substantially compensate for optical phase distortions arising from said optical phased matrix array.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of compensating for phase distortions, in an optical system including:
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an optical input port for projecting an input optical signal onto an optical phased matrix array, an optical phased matrix array including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon, each said pixel being drivable within a prescribed range of levels, and an optical output port for collecting a predetermined fraction of said optical signal received from said optical phased matrix array; the method including the steps of; (a) determining a plurality of transfer functions relating said level of each said pixel to the phase variation each said pixel introduces to light from said input optical signal which is incident thereon; (b) controlling the level of selected ones of said pixels in accordance with a corresponding transfer function such that a fractional signal received at said output port is modified in phase to substantially compensate for optical phase distortions arising from said optical phased matrix array; (c) determining a transfer function relating a wavelength signal to the pixels they are incident thereon; and (d) associating selected ones of said pixels in accordance with said transfer function to said wavelength signals such that the phase of selected wavelength signals can be independently modified in accordance with requirements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of selecting a desired wavelength signal, in an optical system including:
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an optical input port for projecting an input optical signal onto an optical phased matrix array, an optical phased matrix array including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon, each said pixel being drivable within a prescribed range of levels, an optical dispersion element for spatially separating wavelength signals from said optical signal, and an optical output port for collecting a predetermined fraction of said optical signal received from said optical phased matrix array; the method including the steps of; (a) determining a transfer function relating said wavelength signals to said pixels they are incident thereon; and (b) associating selected ones of said pixels in accordance with said transfer function to said wavelength signals such that a phase of said selected wavelength signals can be independently modified in accordance with requirements; (c) determining a transfer function relating said wavelength signals to the pixels they are incident thereon; and (d) associating selected ones of said pixels in accordance with said transfer function to said wavelength signals such that the phase of selected wavelength signals can be independently modified in accordance with requirements. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of minimizing power variations in a fractional signal collected by output ports, in an optical system including:
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an optical input port for projecting an input optical signal onto an optical phased matrix array, an optical phased matrix array including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon, each said pixel being drivable within a prescribed range of levels, and a plurality of optical output ports, each for collecting a predetermined fraction of said optical signal received from said optical phased matrix array; the method including the steps of; (a) determining a plurality of pixel transfer functions relating said level of each said pixel to a phase variation each said pixel introduces to light from said input optical signal which is incident thereon; (b) determining a plurality of routing transfer functions relating the coupling between said input port and said output ports by selection of appropriate levels of predetermined ones of said pixels; (c) determining minimum and maximum levels of said phase variation; and (d) controlling the level of selected ones of said pixels in accordance with a corresponding routing transfer function, said routing transfer function being constrained between said minimum and maximum levels, to direct at least a fraction of said optical signal to at least one of said output ports such that said power variations in the fraction of light collected by said output port are minimized. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of minimizing time-varying variations of optical signals in an optical system including:
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an optical input port for projecting an input optical signal onto an optical phased matrix array, an optical phased matrix array including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon, each said pixel being drivable within a prescribed range of levels, an optical output port for collecting a predetermined fraction of said optical signal received from said optical phased matrix array, a plurality of pixel transfer functions relating said level of each said pixel to a phase variation each said pixel introduces to light from said input optical signal which is incident thereon, and at least one routing transfer function describing the phase variation to be imparted by selected ones of said pixels to thereby couple said fraction of said optical signal between said input port and said output port, where said routing transfer function is constrained between selected minimum and maximum levels; the method including the steps of; (a) providing a detection element at said output port, said detection element providing a detector signal responsive to time-varying variations in said fraction of said optical signal collected by said output port; and (b) modifying said maximum and minimum levels to substantially minimize said time-varying variations in response to said detector signal thereby substantially optimizing the performance of said optical system. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A method of attenuating a selected fractional wavelength signal in an optical system including:
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an optical input port for projecting an input optical signal onto an optical phased matrix array, an optical phased matrix array including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon, each said pixel being drivable within a prescribed range of levels, an optical output port for collecting a predetermined fraction of said optical signal received from said optical phased matrix array, a plurality of pixel transfer functions relating said level of each said pixel to a phase variation each said pixel introduces to light from said input optical signal which is incident thereon, an optical dispersion element for spatially separating wavelength signals from said optical signal, a wavelength transfer function relating said wavelength signals to said pixels they are incident thereon to defined regions of said pixels for independent modification of said wavelength signals, and at least one routing transfer function describing a phase variation to be imparted by selected said regions to thereby couple a fraction of said wavelength signal between said input port and said output port; the method including the steps of; (a) determining a plurality of equalization transfer functions relating the phase variation of selected pixels in said selected region to the amount of attenuation achieved on a selected wavelength signal; (b) selecting a suitable equalization transfer function to give the required attenuation on a selected said fractional wavelength signal; and (c) applying said selected equalization transfer function in conjunction with said routing transfer function to attenuate said fractional wavelength signal in accordance with requirements. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A calibration method for an optical device including the steps of:
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(a) providing an optical system including at least one optical input port and at least one optical output port, where said input port delivers an optical input signal comprising of a plurality of wavelength signals to a liquid crystal spatial light modulator including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon that substantially couples said optical signal to output port; (b) performing a background calibration of said spatial light modulator and said optical system; (c) performing an efficiency calibration to optimize the coupling of a selected portion of said optical input signal between said input port and said output port as a function of wavelength; (d) determining a transfer function relating said wavelength signals to the pixels they are incident thereon; and (e) associating selected ones of said pixels in accordance with said transfer function to said wavelength signals such that a phase of selected wavelength signals can be independently modified in accordance with requirements; such that said pixels of said spatial light modulator can be operated as a dynamically reconfigurable grid. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification