Reinforced multi-body optical devices
A reinforced multi-body optical device that in one embodiment includes a multi-body optical device having a thickness that is less than or equal to about 1.0 millimeter and a supporting plate bonded without epoxy to the multi-body optical device. In an embodiment the supporting plate has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is within about 0.5 parts per million of the CTE of the multi-body optical device.
1. A reinforced multi-body optical device comprising:
a multi-body optical device having a thickness that is less than or equal to about 1.0 millimeters, the multi-body optical device including a first exterior plate, an interior plate, and a second exterior plate, the first exterior plate bonded to the interior plate, the second exterior plate bonded to the interior plate; and
a retro-reflector bonded without epoxy to the multi-body optical device, the retro-reflector bonded to the multi-body optical device such that the retro-reflector is bonded without any intervening structure to the first exterior plate of the multi-body optical device, bonded without any intervening structure to the interior plate of the multi-body optical device, and bonded without any intervening structure to the second exterior plate of the multi-body optical device, the retro-reflector including a first surface and a second surface oriented at oblique angles relative to an interface of the multi-body optical device and the retro-reflector, the retro-reflector having a CTE that is within about 0.5 parts per million per degree Celsius of the CTE of the multi-body optical device.
2. The reinforced multi-body optical device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multi-body optical device is a multi-body polarization beam splitter (PBS).
3. The reinforced multi-body optical device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the reinforced multi-body optical device is a reinforced polarization beam displacer (PBD).
4. An optical interleaver comprising:
first and second filter cells configured to filter optical signals;
the reinforced PBD as recited in claim 3 optically coupled with the filter cells, the reinforced PBD configured to reflect the optical signals;
a single-fiber collimator optically coupled to the filter cells; and
a dual-fiber collimator optically coupled to the filter cells.
5. The reinforced multi-body optical device as recited in claim 1 , wherein an interface of the first exterior plate of the multi-body optical device and the interior plate of the multi-body optical device is oriented at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the interface of the multi-body optical device and the retro-reflector.
6. The reinforced multi-body optical device as recited in claim 5 , wherein an interface of the second exterior plate of the multi-body optical device and the interior plate of the multi-body optical device is oriented parallel to the interface of the first exterior plate of the multi-body optical device and the interior plate of the multi-body optical device.
7. A reinforced polarization beam displacer (PBD) comprising:
a multi-body polarization beam splitter (PBS) including a first exterior plate, an interior plate, and a second exterior plate, the first exterior plate bonded to the interior plate, the second exterior plate bonded to the interior plate; and
a retro-reflector bonded without epoxy to the multi-body PBS at an interface, the retro-reflector bonded to the multi-body PBS such that the retro-reflector is bonded without any intervening structure to the first exterior plate of the multi-body PBS, bonded without any intervening structure to the interior plate of the multi-body PBS, and bonded without any intervening structure to the second exterior plate of the multi-body PBS, the retro-reflector including:
a first surface oriented at a first oblique angle relative to the interface; and
a second surface oriented at a second oblique angle relative to the interface.
8. An optical interleaver comprising:
first and second filter cells configured to filter optical signals;
the reinforced PBD of claim 7 optically coupled with the filter cells, the reinforced PBD configured to reflect the optical signals;
a single-fiber collimator optically coupled to the filter cells; and
a dual-fiber collimator optically coupled to the filter cells.
9. The reinforced PBD of claim 7 , wherein the multi-body PBS has a thickness that is less than or equal to 1.0 millimeters.
10. The reinforced PBD of claim 7 , wherein the multi-body PBS has a thickness that is less than or equal to 0.3 millimeters.
11. The reinforced PBD of claim 7 , wherein the retro-reflector has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is within 0.5 parts per million per degree Celsius of the CTE of the multi-body PBS.
12. The reinforced PBD as recited in claim 7 , wherein an interface of the first exterior plate of the multi-body PBS and the interior plate of the multi-body PBS is oriented at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the interface of the multi-body PBS and the retro-reflector.
13. The reinforced PBD as recited in claim 12 , wherein an interface of the second exterior plate of the multi-body PBS and the interior plate of the multi-body PBS is oriented parallel to the interface of the first exterior plate of the multi-body PBS and the interior plate of the multi-body PBS.
14. An optical interleaver comprising:
first and second filter cells configured to filter optical signals;
a single-fiber collimator optically coupled to the filter cells;
a dual-fiber collimator optically coupled to the filter cells; and
a reinforced multi-body optical device optically coupled with the first and second filter cells, the reinforced multi-body optical device configured to reflect the optical signals, the reinforced multi-body optical device including:
a multi-body optical device including a first exterior plate, an interior plate, and a second exterior plate, the first exterior plate bonded to the interior plate, the second exterior plate bonded to the interior plate; and
a retro-reflector bonded without epoxy to the multi-body optical device at an interface, the retro-reflector bonded to the multi-body optical device such that the retro-reflector is bonded without any intervening structure to the first exterior plate of the multi-body optical device, bonded without any intervening structure to the interior plate of the multi-body optical device, and bonded without any intervening structure to the second exterior plate of the multi-body optical device, the retro-reflector including:
a first surface oriented at a first oblique angle relative to the interface; and
a second surface oriented at a second oblique angle relative to the interface.
15. The optical interleaver of claim 14 , wherein the multi-body optical device is a multi-body polarization beam splitter (PBS).
16. The optical interleaver of claim 14 , wherein the reinforced multi-body optical device is a reinforced polarization beam displacer (PBD).
17. The optical interleaver of claim 14 , wherein the multi-body optical device has a thickness that is less than or equal to 1.0 millimeters.
18. The optical interleaver of claim 14 , wherein the multi-body optical device has a thickness that is less than or equal to 0.3 millimeters.
19. The optical interleaver of claim 14 , wherein the retro-reflector has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is within 0.5 parts per million per degree Celsius of the CTE of the multi-body optical device.
20. The optical interleaver as recited in claim 14 , wherein:
an interface of the first exterior plate of the multi-body optical device and the interior plate of the multi-body optical device is oriented at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the interface of the multi-body optical device and the retro-reflector; and
an interface of the second exterior plate of the multi-body optical device and the interior plate of the multi-body optical device is oriented parallel to the interface of the first exterior plate of the multi-body optical device and the interior plate of the multi-body optical device.