Tunable optical component

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates generally to optical components, and particularly to tunable optical components.

#2. Technical Background

#FIG. 1 is a top view of an optical component 10, in accordance with the teachings of the invention;

#FIG. 2 is a chart showing the wavelength spectrum of the optical component 10 of FIG. 1, used as a thermally tunable Fabry-Perot filter, as a function of temperature, in accordance with the teachings of the invention;

#FIG. 3 is a perspective representation of a second embodiment of the optical component 10, in accordance with the teachings of the invention;

#Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. An exemplary embodiment of the optical component 10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, and is designated generally throughout by reference numeral 10.

#Referring to FIG. 1, multiple uses are made available with an optical component 10 that is based on a fiber Fabry-Perot resonator 12. The optical component 10 includes a substrate 14 having a variable length 16 that is variable in response to a stimuli 18. Suitable substrate materials are available that are responsive to stimuli, such as pressure, mechanical pulling, electrical-magnetic poling, or other external forces. For example, a heat-sensitive substrate 14 having a temperature-sensitive length 16 for supporting and temperature-tuning the Fabry-Perot resonator 12 by varying the temperature-sensitive length 16 of the heat-sensitive substrate 14 in response to a temperature variance 18 that is provided by resistive heating or temperature compensation of the resonator 12 due to ambient temperature effects can be one embodiment of the teachings of the present invention. Note that while the temperature variance 18 is depicted as a resistive heater, other heaters/coolers, such as a thermoelectric cooler, regulators, controllers, devices capable of maintaining or tuning the substrate temperature can be used. Furthermore, other applicators for applying other forces can also be substituted for the resistive heater.

#Continuing with the example, a plurality of fiber retainers 22 are disposed on the heat-sensitive substrate 14 for mounting and aligning the fiber Fabry-Perot resonator 12. To fix the position of the fiber Fabry-Perot resonator 12 relative to the heat-sensitive substrate 14 and to define the temperature-sensitive length 16, a pair of binders 24 are disposed on the heat-sensitive substrate 14. Even though the binders 24 are shown proximate selected opposed pairs 221 and 222 of the plurality of the fiber retainers 22, the binders 24 need not touch the retainers 22 at all but simply affix to the substrate 14. The plurality of fiber retainers 22 forms two rows. Preferably, each of the optical fiber retainers are polymeric fiber grippers and each has an inner surface facing one of two parallel axes such that a substantially axial passage 26 is formed therethrough.