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US 2026/0219544 A1Published application
Absorber or scatter assisted variable optical attenuator
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsRajat SHARMA, Marc P. SAVANIER, Elena REZAEIFAR BAYAT, Thierry J. PINGUET
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Abstract
Embodiments herein describe an interferometric waveguide in a variable optical attenuator (VOA) that includes a phase tuner that introduces a local phase that redirects an optical signal transmitted in the waveguide to an optical absorber or scatterer, thereby attenuating the signal. That is, by controlling the local phase change, the VOA can selectively attenuate an optical signal using the optical absorber or scatterer (or both).
Claims20
A variable optical attenuator (VOA) comprising:
- an interferometric waveguide;
- a phase tuner configured to generate a local phase change in the interferometric waveguide;
- and
- an optical absorber or optical scatterer formed on or in the interferometric waveguide, wherein the local phase change modifies an optical field interference pattern of multi-modes in an optical signal propagating in the interferometric waveguide to change an overlap of optical fields of the multi-modes with the optical absorber or optical scatterer.
1 more element
A variable optical attenuator (VOA) comprising:
- a waveguide;
- a phase tuner configured to generate an asymmetric phase change in the waveguide;
- and
- an optical absorber or optical scatterer formed on or in the waveguide, wherein the asymmetric phase change changes a field profile of an optical signal propagating in the waveguide so that more, or less, optical power overlaps with the optical absorber or optical scatterer.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- adjusting, in an attenuation state of a variable optical attenuator (VOA), a local phase change in an interferometric waveguide to move nulls of a field profile away from an optical absorber or scatterer;
- and
- adjusting, in a full-power state of the VOA, a local phase change in the interferometric waveguide to move nulls of the field profile towards the optical absorber or scatterer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.