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US 6,856,731 B2Granted
Heat tunable optical devices with linearity compensation
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsJohn A Rogers, Todd R. Salamon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Wide range linear tuning of optical gratings is possible by selecting a thin film heater such that the temperature variation in heater's resistivity ρ matches the temperature variation in the heat transfer coefficient of air h. A tunable optical device, such as a fiber grating with such a grating heater, exhibits near linear tuning characteristics over a wide range of temperatures and tuning currents. The heater is useable in other heat tunable optical devices such as interferometers.
Claims12
A heat tunable optical device, comprising:
- an optical waveguide configured to dissipate heat into a medium whose heat dissipation coefficient is h;
- and
- a resistive layer located along the waveguide and having a thickness profile that varies monotonically along an axis of the waveguide, the thickness profile establishing on ohmic heating profile in the waveguide, and
- wherein the layer is a material with a resistivity ρ;
- and
- wherein a ratio h/ρ varies by less than 5% over an operating range of at least 150° C.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.