Apparatus and method for temperature-compensating diffraction-based optical devices
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorStamatios V. Kartalopoulos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A temperature-compensated optical grating is fed an optical probe signal of a predetermined wavelength. An optical detector having a plurality of apertures for receiving an optical signal is positioned to detect a probe light signal from the grating and to detect the deflection of the probe light signal from a preferred location. The detector provides an indication of the deflection to a controller which operates a temperature adjustment device, such as a fan or thermoelectric cooler to adjust the temperature of the grating in a direction which reduces the deflection.
Claims18
An temperature-compensated diffraction grating comprising:
- a diffraction grating;
- an optical detector having a plurality of apertures for receiving an optical signal, the detector positioned to detect a probe light signal of a predetermined wavelength from the grating and to detect a deflection of the probe light signal from a reference position;
- a controller configured to receive an indication of the deflection from the optical detector;
- and
- a temperature adjustment device operated by the controller in response to the indication of deflection to adjust the temperature of the diffraction grating by an amount that compensates for the deflection.
A temperature-compensated optical demultiplexer comprising:
- an input for receiving a multi-wavelength optical signal;
- a plurality of outputs for transmitting a plurality of single-wavelength optical signals;
- and
- a temperature-compensated diffraction grating positioned to receive the multi-wavelength optical signal, to demultiplex the multi-wavelength signal into discrete single-wavelength optical signals and to transmit the single-wavelength optical signals to the plurality of outputs, the temperature-compensated diffraction grating including a diffraction grating;
- an optical detector having a plurality of apertures for receiving a probe light signal of a predetermined wavelength, the detector positioned to detect the probe light signal of a predetermined wavelength from the grating and to detect the deflection of the probe light signal from a reference position;
- a controller configured to receive an indication of the deflection from the optical detector;
- and
- a temperature adjustment device operated by the controller in response to the indication of deflection to adjust the temperature of the diffraction grating by an amount that compensates for the deflection.
A temperature-compensated optical switch comprising
- an input for receiving a multi-wavelength optical signal;
- a plurality of outputs for transmitting a plurality of single wavelength optical signals;
- a temperature-compensated diffraction grating positioned to receive the multi-wavelength optical signal, to demultiplex the multi-wavelength signal into discrete single-wavelength optical signals and to transmit the single-wavelength optical signals to a microelectromechanical device which controllably deflects the single-wavelength optical signals to the plurality of outputs, the temperature-compensated diffraction grating including a diffraction grating;
- an optical detector having a plurality of apertures for receiving a probe light signal of a predetermined wavelength, the detector positioned to detect the probe light signal of a predetermined wavelength from the grating and to detect the deflection of the probe light signal from a reference position;
- a controller configured to receive an indication of the deflection from the optical detector;
- and
- a temperature adjustment device operated by the controller in response to the indication of deflection to adjust the temperature of the diffraction grating by an amount that compensates for the deflection.
A method of compensating temperature-dependent effects on a diffraction grating comprising the steps of:
- (A) transmitting a probe light signal of a predetermined wavelength to a diffraction grating;
- (B) detecting the deflection of the probe light signal from a reference position;
- and
- (C) controlling the temperature of the diffraction grating in response to the detection of step(B).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.