Fiber optic tunable filter using a fabry-perot resonator
AssigneeOpticNet, Inc.
InventorRobert Fan
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Abstract
A tunable filter with a flattopped passband is provided for use as a micromachined optical filter with input and output optical fibers which provides a wavelength tunability with several discrete wavelengths and a flattopped passband. The standard Fabry-Perot resonator is modified by incorporating multilayer dielectrics to form a pair of interference filters, one of which is vibrated to provide for tunability and provision of several resonant wavelengths. The layers can either be deposited on an existing dielectric slab of a Fabry-Perot device or included on the ends of the input and output optical fibers which are then incorporated into the Fabry-Perot device.
Claims8
A fiber optic tunable filter using a Fabry-Perot resonator comprising:
- a pair of opposed interference filters each having three or more layers and spaced apart around a Fabry-Perot cavity a distance substantially equal to an integral number of wavelengths of said cavity resonant frequency;
- input and output optical fibers coupled to said cavity via said interference filters respectively, said input fiber transmitting an incident light beam having a plurality of non-distinct wavelengths near said resonant wavelength;
- and
- means for vibrating one of said interference filters in the direction of said light beam whereby a plurality of distinct wavelengths of substantially equal amplitude is produced on said output fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.