Chromatic dispersion compensator

• US 6,633,704 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Boland, Daniel M., Kohnke, Glenn E.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, HUNG NHAT
• Application Number:
  US09/942,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20020159699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 385/24, 385/39, 385/37, 385/15
• US Class Current: 385/39
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2932 comprising a directional router, e.g. directional coupler, circulator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29322 Diffractive elements of the tunable type G02B6/02195 takes precedence; optical modulation devices based on a change of the optical properties of the medium G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29394 Compensating wavelength dispersion G02B6/29376 takes precedence; dispersion compensated optical transmission systems H04B10/2507
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29395 configurable, e.g. tunable or reconfigurable switching G02B6/35
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29398 Temperature insensitivity

Abstract

The present invention is a chromatic dispersion compensator. The chromatic dispersion compensator includes a first 3-port optical circulator, a first grating coupled to the second optical port of the first 3-port optical circulator. A polarization controller is coupled to the third optical port of the first 3-port optical circulator. The chromatic dispersion compensator further includes a second 3-port optical circulator, the polarization controller is coupled to the first optical port of the second 3-port optical circulator and a second grating is coupled to the second optical port of the second 3-port optical circulator.

Claims

1. A chromatic dispersion compensator comprising:

a first optical circulator, said first optical circulator having;

a first optical port;

a second optical port; and

a third optical port

a polarization controller coupled to said third optical port;

a second optical circulator, said second optical circulator having;

a fourth optical port coupled to said polarization controller;

a fifth optical port; and

a six optical port;

a first grating coupled to said second optical port; and

a second grating coupled to said fifth optical port.

2. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 1 wherein said first grating and said second grating are fiber Bragg gratings.

3. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 1 wherein said first grating and said second grating are nonlinearly chirped fiber Bragg gratings.

4. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 3 wherein the variation of Bragg wavelength as a function of length of said second grating is substantially inverse to the variation of Bragg wavelength as a function of length of said first grating.

5. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 4 wherein said polarization controller comprises two optical waveguide fibers rotationally aligned one to another so that the principle states of polarization of said first grating and said second grating appear orthogonal to one another to an optical signal reflected acted upon by the chromatic dispersion compensator.

6. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 1 wherein said polarization controller is a dynamic polarization controller.

7. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 1 wherein said first and second gratings are tunable gratings.

8. chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 1 wherein said polarization controller is a dynamic polarization controller;

and wherein said first and second gratings are tunable gratings.

9. An optical communication system comprising:

a chromatic dispersion compensator, said chromatic dispersion compensator including;

a first optical circulator, said first optical circulator having;

a first optical port;

a second optical port; and

a third optical port

a polarization controller coupled to said third optical port;

a second optical circulator, said second optical circulator having;

a fourth optical port coupled to said polarization controller;

a fifth optical port; and

a six optical port;

a first grating coupled to said second optical port; and

a second grating coupled to said fifth optical port.

10. A chromatic dispersion compensator comprising:

a first optical circulator, said first optical circulator having;

a first optical port;

a second optical port; and

a third optical port

a first grating coupled to said second optical port;

a second optical circulator, said second optical circulator having;

a fourth optical port coupled to said third optical port;

a fifth optical port; and

a six optical port;

a second grating coupled to said fifth optical port; and

a polarization controller disposed to alter the polarization state of an optical signal propagating from said third optical port to said fourth optical port.

11. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 10 wherein said first grating and said second grating are fiber Bragg gratings.

12. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 10 wherein said first grating and said second grating are nonlinearly chirped fiber Bragg gratings.

13. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 12 wherein the variation of Bragg wavelength as a function of length of said first grating and said second grating are substantially identical.

14. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 13 wherein said polarization controller comprises two optical waveguide fibers rotationally aligned one to another so that the principle states of polarization of said first grating and said second grating appear orthogonal to one another to an optical signal reflected acted upon by the chromatic dispersion compensator.

15. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 10 wherein said polarization controller is a dynamic polarization controller.

16. The chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 10 wherein said first and second gratings are tunable gratings.

17. chromatic dispersion compensator of claim 10 wherein said polarization controller is a dynamic polarization controller;

and wherein said first and second gratings are tunable gratings.