Tunable filter
OwnerTrent Gary Coroy, Wenhua Lininventors
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Abstract
An optical filter is disclosed. The filter includes an array waveguide grating having a plurality of array waveguides. Each array waveguide is configured to receive a portion of an input light signal and output the portions of the light signal such that the portions of the light signal are combined into an output light signal. The filter also includes effective length tuners configured to change an effective length of a plurality of the array waveguides. The effective length tuners are configured to be engaged such that an angle at which the output light signal travels away from the array waveguide grating shifts relative to a reference angle. The reference angle is the angle at which the output light signal travels when the one or more effective length tuners are not engaged.
Claims28
An optical filters, comprising:
- an array waveguide grating having a plurality of array waveguides, each array waveguide configured to receive a portion of an input light signal and output the portions of the light signal such that the portions of the light signal are combined into an output light signal diffracted at an angle;
- and
- effective length tuners configured to change an effective length of a plurality of the array waveguides, the effective length tuners configured to be engaged such that an angle at which the output light signal travels away from the array waveguide grating shifts relative to a reference angle, the reference angle being the angle at which the output light signal travels away from the array waveguide grating when the one or more effective length tuners are not engaged.
The filter of claim 14, wherein the array waveguides are configured such that input light signals having different wavelengths are diffracted at different angles.
An optical filter, comprising:
- an array waveguide grating having a plurality of array waveguides with different lengths;
- and
- effective length tuners configured to change an effective length of a plurality of the array waveguides, the effective length tuners configured to be engaged such that the amount of effective length change for the array waveguides increases with increasing array waveguide length or such that the amount of effective length change for the array waveguides decreases with increasing array waveguide length.
An optical filter, comprising:
- an array waveguide grating having array waveguides that can be associated with an array waveguide index, the value of the array waveguide index being different for each of the array waveguides and the magnitude of the difference in the value of the array waveguide index for adjacent array waveguides being equal to 1;
- and
- effective length tuners configured to change an effective length of a plurality of the array waveguides, the effective length tuners configured to be engaged such that the amount of effective length change for the array waveguides increases with increasing array waveguide index or such that the amount of effective length change for the array waveguides decreases with increasing array waveguide index.
A method for operating an optical filter, comprising:
- obtaining an optical component having a plurality of array waveguides;
- combining portions of light signals traveling through the array waveguides into output light signal diffracted at an angle;
- engaging a plurality of effective length tuners configured to change the effective length of the array waveguides, the effective length tuners engaged such that the output light signals are directed away from a reference angle in a first direction, the reference angle being the angle at which the light signals are diffracted when the effective length tuners are not engaged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.