US 2003/0077019 A1 · Temperature-compensated optical communication interference device and optical communication system

Abstract

The invention relates to a temperature-compensated optical communication interference device. In this device, an optical divider divides light entering an input port into two light beams. An optical coupler superposes these beams and feeds the superposed light to an output port. First and second optical paths are provided between the divider and the coupler. First and second optical components are placed on the first and second optical paths, respectively. The divider, coupler, and optical components are placed on a substrate. The substrate has members with coefficients of linear expansion having different signs. Temperature dependence of an optical path length difference between the first and second paths is reduced due to the difference between the signs of the coefficients.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A temperature-compensated optical communication interference device comprising:

first and second ports;
an optical divider for dividing light entering said first port into first and second light beams;
an optical coupler for receiving the first and second light beams to superpose the beams and feed the superposed light to the second port;
first and second optical paths disposed between said optical divider and optical coupler;
a first optical component placed on said first optical path;
a second optical component placed on said second optical path;
and
a substrate on which said optical divider, optical coupler, first optical component, and second optical component are placed;
wherein said substrate has one or more members with positive coefficients of linear expansion and one or more members with negative coefficients of linear expansion, and
wherein temperature dependence of an optical path length difference between said first and second optical paths is reduced due to the difference between the signs of the coefficients of linear expansion.

7 more elements

A temperature-compensated optical communication interference device comprising:

a beam splitter for dividing input light into first and second divided beams to feed the first divided beam into a first optical path and the second divided beam into a second optical path, said beam splitter being located at one end of said first optical path and being located at one end of said second optical path;
a first mirror placed at the other end of said first optical path, said first mirror being adapted to reflect said first divided beam along said first optical path back to said beam splitter;
a second mirror placed at the other end of said second optical path, said second mirror being adapted to reflect said second divided beam along said second optical path back to said beam splitter;
and
a substrate on which said beam splitter, said first mirror, and said second mirror are placed;
wherein said substrate has one or more members with positive coefficients of linear expansion and one or more members with negative coefficients of linear expansion, and
wherein temperature dependence of an optical path length difference between the first and second optical paths is reduced due to the difference between the signs of the coefficients of linear expansion.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Temperature-compensated optical communication interference device and optical communication system

Life of this patent

Temperature-compensated optical communication interference device and optical communication system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23