IP Library Granted Patent US 7,324,265
Granted Patent B2
US 7,324,265 · App. 11/208,109 · Granted Jan 29, 2008

Tuning a narrow band filter for telecommunication applications with an acoustic optical tunable filter

Assignee: NeoPhotonics, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,324,265
App. No.
11/208,109
Granted
Jan 29, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical tunable filter that includes an tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting the broad band beam to a set of grating for generated a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from the AOD and a wavelength resolution of the set of gratings. The AOD further includes an RF driver for tuning the AOD with an RF driving signal. The AOD further comprises a directional tuning acousto-optic crystal. The optical beam expander further includes a first and a second beam expanding prisms that composed of a material suitable for a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) application over a wavelength range covering S, C and L bands.

Claims (35)

1. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and wherein said expander further comprises a first and a second beam expanding prisms.

2. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and further comprising: a shaping filter comprising a periodic filtering grid coinciding with an ITU grid or with a certain offset to ITU grid.

3. The tunable filter of claim 2 wherein said shaping filter has a transmission profile complimenting a transmission of said set of gratings.

4. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and wherein said set of gratings have a wavelength resolution ranging from 0.25 to 0.05 nanometers with an incident beam from said expander having a beam aperture ranging from 5 mm to 25 mm.

5. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and wherein said set of gratings is mounted in a grazing-incidence configuration for directing an incident beam from said expander to pass said set of gratings twice for reducing an angular dispersion.

6. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and further comprising a beam separation and handling module to receive and to separate a portion of a multi-channel optical signal to project to said AOD.

7. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and further comprising a beam separation and handling module to receive and to drop a portion of a multi-channel optical signal for projecting to said AOD.

8. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and further comprising a beam separation and handling module to receive and to add an optical signal to a multi-channel optical signal to project to said AOD.

9. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings: and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and further comprising a beam separation and handling module to receive an input multi-channel optical signal and to function as a directional coupler.

10. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and further comprising a beam separation and handling module to receive an input multi-channel optical signal and to function as a polarization splitter.

11. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and further comprising a beam separation and handling module to receive an input multi-channel optical signal and to function as a wave front splitter.

12. A tunable filter comprising:

a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and wherein said AOD further comprises an RF driver for tuning said AOD with an RF driving signal; and further comprising a beam separation and handling module to receive an input multi-channel optical signal and to function as an optical circulator.

13. A method for tuning an optical signal comprising:

deflecting a broadband beam from a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings, wherein said step of projecting said optical beam from said expander to said set of gratings further comprises a step of employing a first and a second beam expanding prisms as said optical beam expander.

14. A method for tuning an optical signal comprising:

deflecting a broadband beam from a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and tuning a broadband optical signal over a wavelength range of at least 100 nm covering S, C and L bands.

15. A method for tuning an optical signal comprising:

deflecting a broadband beam from a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings, wherein said step of deflecting said broadband beam from said AOD further comprises a step of deflecting an optical beam of an aperture smaller than 500 microns in diameter.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

said step of deflecting said broadband beam from said AOD further comprises a step of deflecting an optical beam of an aperture smaller than 500 microns in diameter and generating an output beam of a substantially same aperture.

17. A method for tuning an optical signal comprising:

deflecting a broadband beam from a tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) to an expander for projecting said broad band beam to a set of gratings for generating a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from said AOD and a wavelength resolution of said set of gratings; and further comprising shaping an incoming optical beam by applying a periodic filtering grid coinciding with an ITU grid or with a certain offset to ITU grid.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

shaping said incoming beam with a transmission profile complimenting a transmission of said set of gratings.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2010
From: PAXERA CORP.
To: NEOPHOTONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024536/0656 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 20, 2005
From: CHU, RAYMOND R.; CHEN, YUE
To: PAXERA CORP.
Reel/Frame 016909/0785 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 1074498700 · Dec 23, 2003
Continuation In Part 1042889900 · May 3, 2003
Related Publication 20060061852A1 · Mar 23, 2006