Optical fiber filter with ultra-wide tuning range
AssigneeII-Vi Delaware, Inc.
InventorsYongkang Hu, Ketang Tan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical fiber filter has an ultra-wide tuning range and includes a two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror, a collimating and beam expanding system, and two grating. An input fiber emits a multi-wavelength optical signal into the rotating mirror, which reflects the signal to the system to form collimated beams. In turn, the collimated beams are incident on the gratings that disperse the light of different wavelengths to different angles. Lights of different diffraction angles are input into an output fiber by adjusting the rotating mirror. The rotating mirror can be used to switch between gratings of different wavebands to tune optical wavelengths in an ultra-wide range.
Claims18
An optical fiber filter to filter at least one multi-wavelength optical signal emitted from at least one input optical fiber for output to at least one output optical fiber, the optical fiber filter comprising:
- a two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror disposed in optical communication with the at least one multi-wavelength optical signal, the two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror being configured to rotate in two-dimensions and being configured to reflect the at least one multi-wavelength optical signal;
- a collimating and beam expanding system disposed in optical communication with the at least one reflected signal and being configured to form collimated beams therefrom;
- and
- two gratings each disposed in optical communication with a respective one of the collimated beams and being configured to disperse the respective collimated beam into light of different wavelengths at different diffraction angles,
- wherein the two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror is configured to select the light of at least one of the different diffraction angles as at least one filtered signal for output to the at least one output optical fiber.
An optical fiber filter to filter a multi-wavelength optical signal emitted from an input optical fiber for output to an output optical fiber, the optical fiber filter comprising:
- an optical fiber circulator in communication with the input optical fiber and the output optical fiber;
- a two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror disposed in optical communication with the at least one multi-wavelength optical signal, the two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror being configured to rotate in two-dimensions and being configured to reflect the multi-wavelength optical signal;
- a collimating and beam expanding system disposed in optical communication with the reflected signal and being configured to form collimated beams therefrom;
- and
- two gratings each disposed in optical communication with a respective one of the collimated beams and being configured to disperse the respective beam into light of different wavelengths at different diffraction angles;
- first total reflection components correspondingly arranged on front ends of the two gratings and being configured to reflect the respective collimated beams from the collimating and beam expanding system to the respective gratings;
- and
- second total reflection components correspondingly arranged on rear ends of the two gratings, each of the second total reflection components being configured to return a respective filtered signal meeting a Littrow condition along a retracing path to the optical fiber circulator for output from the single output optical fiber,
- wherein the two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror is configured to select the light of at least one of the different diffraction angles as the respective filtered signal for output to the output optical fiber.
An optical fiber filter to filter first and second multi-wavelength optical signals emitted from first and second input optical fibers for output to first and second output optical fibers, the optical fiber filter comprising:
- a first optical fiber circulator in communication with the first input optical fiber and the first output optical fiber;
- a second optical fiber circulator in communication with the second input optical fiber and the second output optical fiber;
- a two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror disposed in optical communication with the first and second multi-wavelength optical signals, the two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror being configured to rotate in two-dimensions and being configured to reflect the multi-wavelength optical signals;
- a collimating and beam expanding system disposed in optical communication with the reflected signals and being configured to form collimated beams therefrom;
- and
- two gratings each disposed in optical communication with a respective one of the collimated beams and being configured to disperse the respective beam into light of different wavelengths at different diffraction angles;
- first total reflection components correspondingly arranged on front ends of the two gratings and being configured to reflect the respective collimated beams from the collimating and beam expanding system to the respective gratings;
- and
- second total reflection components correspondingly arranged on rear ends of the two gratings, each of the second total reflection components being configured to return a respective filtered signal meeting a Littrow condition along a retracing path to the optical fiber circulator for output from the single output optical fiber,
- wherein the two-dimensional mechanical rotating mirror is configured to select the light of the different diffraction angles simultaneously as the respective filtered signals for output to the output optical fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.