IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,308,182
Granted Patent B2
US 7,308,182 · App. 11/053,985 · Granted Dec 11, 2007

Optical amplifiers

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,308,182
App. No.
11/053,985
Granted
Dec 11, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical amplifier comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) having at least one support layer of electrically non-conducting material and at least one conductive layer of electrically conducting material, and a foil heater in the form of a conductive track 20 on the PCB. A specified length of erbium optical fibre is wound around an aluminium spool mounted on the PCB and clamped by a clamp with the interposition of a thermal gasket, so that the optical fibre can be heated by the heater. Cutouts are provided in the PCB surrounding the heater to minimise loss of heat from the heater. The form of the heater enables it to be produced during fabrication of the optical fibre without utilising additional costly fabrication steps.

Claims (17)

1. An optical amplifier, comprising:

a multilayer printed circuit board comprising at least one support layer of electrically non-conducting material and at least one conductive layer of electrically conducting material,

a spool of optical fibre mounted on the printed circuit board,

a heater in the form of a resistive track within said at least one conductive layer of the printed circuit board for effecting resistive heating of the optical fibre, and

a heater drive circuit mounted on the printed circuit board.

2. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein the resistive track is buried within said support layer.

3. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is in the form of an etched copper track of the printed circuit board.

4. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein temperature measurement means is provided for monitoring the temperature of the heater to control heating by the heater.

5. An optical amplifier according to claim 4 , wherein the temperature measurement means comprises at least one thermistor positioned in the vicinity of the heater.

6. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein the spool has a generally circular shape.

7. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein the spool comprises a length of optical fibre wound on a former made from thermally conducting material.

8. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board is provided with one or more thermally isolating holes surrounding the heater in order to decrease heat loss from the vicinity of the heater.

9. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein a heat shroud is provided around at least a part of the heater in order to decrease heat loss from the vicinity of the heater.

10. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein the spool is mounted on the printed circuit board by a clamp assembly.

11. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein the optical fibre is an erbium fibre.

12. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein heating of the optical fibre is supplemented by heat emitted by a transistor on the printed circuit board.

13. An optical amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is additionally adapted to heat associated electronic circuitry.

Assignments (11)
PATENT RELEASE AND REASSIGNMENT Recorded Jul 5, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: II-VI INCORPORATED; MARLOW INDUSTRIES, INC.; EPIWORKS, INC.; LIGHTSMYTH TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; KAILIGHT PHOTONICS, INC.; COADNA PHOTONICS, INC.; OPTIUM CORPORATION; FINISAR CORPORATION; II-VI OPTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.; M CUBED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; II-VI PHOTONICS (US), INC.; II-VI DELAWARE, INC.; II-VI OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES, INC.; PHOTOP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 060574/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2022
From: II-VI INCORPORATED; II-VI DELAWARE, INC.; M CUBED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; II-VI PHOTONICS (US), INC.; PHOTOP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; COHERENT, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060562/0254 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2019
From: II-VI INCORPORATED
To: II-VI DELAWARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 051210/0411 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Sep 25, 2019
From: II-VI INCORPORATED; MARLOW INDUSTRIES, INC.; EPIWORKS, INC.; LIGHTSMYTH TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; KAILIGHT PHOTONICS, INC.; COADNA PHOTONICS, INC.; OPTIUM CORPORATION; FINISAR CORPORATION; II-VI OPTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.; M CUBED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; II-VI PHOTONICS (US), INC.; II-VI DELAWARE, INC.; II-VI OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES, INC.; PHOTOP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 050484/0204 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 21, 2014
From: WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC
To: OCLARO, INC.; OCLARO TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 032982/0222 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2014
From: OCLARO TECHNOLOGY LIMITED; OCLARO, INC.; OCLARO (NORTH AMERICA), INC.; OCLARO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: II-VI INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 032554/0818 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2014
From: OCLARO TECHNOLOGY PLC
To: OCLARO TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 032520/0534 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 19, 2014
From: BOOKHAM TECHNOLOGY PLC
To: OCLARO TECHNOLOGY PLC
Reel/Frame 032477/0401 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 015717 FRAME 0348. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE THE PREVIOUS ADDRESS OF: 90 MILTON PARK, ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE,UNITED KINGDOM OX14 4RY. Recorded Oct 22, 2007
From: MCCAIG, PETER WILSON
To: BOOKHAM TECHNOLOGY PLC
Reel/Frame 019993/0384 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 15, 2006
From: BOOKHAM TECHNOLOGY, PLC
To: WELLS FARGO FOOTHILL, INC.
Reel/Frame 018524/0089 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2005
From: MCCAIG, MR. PETER WILSON
To: BOOKHAM TECHNOLOGY PLC
Reel/Frame 015717/0348 →