Integrated tunable optical equalizer
AssigneeAlcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
InventorChristopher Richard Doerr
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is an apparatus and method for use thereof. The apparatus, in one embodiment, includes first and second 1×N couplers integrated on a substrate and configured to receive an optical symbol having an intended time slot, N being at least three. The apparatus, in this embodiment, further includes N waveguide arms integrated on the substrate, having modulators and coupled between the first and second 1×N couplers. The apparatus, in this embodiment, additionally, includes a modulator controller configured to drive the modulators such that, following transmission over a distance, components of the optical symbol outside of the intended time slot are attenuated relative to components within the intended time slot.
Claims17
A method for use, comprising:
- imparting an optical symbol having an intended time slot on an optical waveguide integrated on a substrate;
- separating the optical symbol into products using a first 1×N coupler coupled to the optical waveguide, and imparting the products on N waveguide arms integrated on the substrate, N being at least three;
- driving modulators associated with the N waveguide arms using a modulator controller to provide modulated products;
- and
- combining the modulated products using a second 1×N coupler integrated on the substrate and coupled to the N waveguide arms such that, following transmission over a distance, components of the optical symbol outside of the intended time slot are attenuated relative to components of the optical symbol within the intended time slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.