IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,171,073
Granted Patent B1
US 7,171,073 · App. 11/247,052 · Granted Jan 30, 2007

Structure and method for multi-ports optical apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,171,073
App. No.
11/247,052
Granted
Jan 30, 2007
Kind
B1
Abstract

The present invention describes a structure and method for a multi-ports WDM device for compensating the filter distortion while reducing insertion loss. The multi-ports WDM device comprises a 4-fiber collimator having a grin lens and a 2-fiber collimator having a lens where the focal plane of the second lens is shorter than the focal plane of the first grin lens Ands with aspheric surface. When a light signal travels through the first lens in the 4-fiber collimator to a filter, the film on the filter causes distortion to the light signal resulting in a large insertion loss. To compensate for the insertion loss, the lens on the 2-fiber collimator has a aspheric function and a shorter focal plane than the grin lens on the 4-fiber collimator. The type of grin lens used in the 4-fiber collimator is different than the lens used in the 2-fiber collimator. Effectively, the lens in the 2-fiber collimator operates to de-focus a light signal relative to the grin lens in the 4-fiber collimator.

Claims (21)

1. A WDM device, comprising

a m-fiber collimator having a first type of grin lens coupled to a filter, the m-fiber collimator receiving a light signal and propagating the light signal through the first type of grin lens and the filter, the first type of grin lens in the m-fiber collimator having a focal plane;

a n-fiber collimator having a second type of grin lens, the second type of grin lens in the n-fiber collimator receiving the light signal propagating from the filter of the m-fiber collimator, the second type of grin lens in the n-fiber collimator having a focal plane; and

a first glass tube placed outside of m-fiber collimator and coupling to the first type of grin lens for processing the light signal from the m-fiber collimator inside the first glass tube to the grin lens, the m-fiber collimator including a 4-fiber pigtail inside the first glass tube for processing the light signal from the 4-fiber pigtail inside of the first lass tube;

wherein the focal plane in the second type of grin lens of the n-fiber collimator is shorter than the focal plane in the first type of grin lens of the m-fiber collimator for compensating the distortion caused when the light signal travels through the filter.

2. The WDM device of claim 1 , wherein the grin lens in the n-fiber collimator comprises a gradium lens.

3. The WDM device of claim 1 , wherein the grin lens in the n-fiber collimator comprises an aspheric lens.

4. The WDM device of claim 1 , wherein the m-fiber collimator comprises a filter coupling to the grin lens for filtering the light signal received from the grin lens.

5. The WDM device of claim 4 , wherein the filter is a 25 GHz, 50 GHz, or 100 GHz filter.

6. The WDM device of claim 1 , wherein the n-fiber collimator comprises a 2-fiber pigtail coupling to a second glass tube for processing the light signal from the second glass tube to the 2-fiber pigtail.

7. The WDM device of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the m-fiber collimator and n-fiber collimator produces a 6-ports WDM device.

8. The WDM device of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the m-fiber collimator and n-fiber collimator produces a 9-ports WDM device.

9. The WDM device of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the m-fiber collimator and n-fiber collimator produces a 12-ports WDM device.

10. A method for processing a light beam in a multi-port device having a m-fiber collimator and a n-fiber collimator, comprising:

receiving a light beam in a m-fiber collimator

propagating the light beam from the m-fiber collimator inside a glass tube to a grin lens, the m-fiber collimator including a 4-fiber pigtail inside the first glass tube for processing the light signal from the 4-fiber pigtail inside the first glass tube, the grin lens in the m-fiber collimator having a focal plane;

filtering the light beam; and

compensating the light beam through a grin lens in a n-fiber collimator, the grin lens in the n-fiber collimator having a focal plane;

wherein the focal plane in the grin lens in the n-fiber collimator is shorter than the focal plane in the grin lens of the m-fiber collimator for compensating the distortion caused when the light beam travels through the filter.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the grin lens in the n-fiber collimator comprises a gradium lens.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the grin lens in the n-fiber collimator comprises an aspheric lens.

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 Jun 28, 2022
From: II-VI INCORPORATED
To: II-VI DELAWARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 060334/0778 →
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 9, 2017
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: OCLARO, INC.; OCLARO TECHNOLOGY, INC.; OCLARO (NORTH AMERICA), INC.; MINTERA CORPORATION; OPNEXT, INC.; PINE PHOTONICS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; OPNEXT SUBSYSTEMS INC.; BOOKHAM NOMINEES LIMITED; OCLARO TECHNOLOGY LIMITED; OCLARO INNOVATIONS LLP
Reel/Frame 042430/0235 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 3, 2014
From: OCLARO (NORTH AMERICA), INC.
To: II-VI INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 033240/0978 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 5, 2014
From: AVANEX CORPORATION
To: OCLARO (NORTH AMERICA), INC.
Reel/Frame 032826/0276 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2014
From: WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC
To: OCLARO (NORTH AMERICA), INC.
Reel/Frame 032643/0427 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2014
From: OCLARO, INC.; OCLARO TECHNOLOGY, INC.; OCLARO (NORTH AMERICA), INC.; MINTERA CORPORATION; OPNEXT, INC.; PINE PHOTONICS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; OPNEXT SUBSYSTEMS INC.; BOOKHAM NOMINEES LIMITED; OCLARO TECHNOLOGY LIMITED; OCLARO INNOVATIONS LLP
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 032589/0948 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 12, 2012
From: OCLARO (NORTH AMERICA), INC.
To: WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, INC., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 028540/0413 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2005
From: WU, XUEHUA; ZHAO, MINGJUN; FENG, JOHN
To: AVANEX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 017095/0178 →