EP0279932A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Optical communication signal source
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1987-12-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-12-11
Abstract
Abstract An optical communication signal source package and assembly for coupling optical signals to the end of an optical fiber (22) includes first and second semiconductor laser diodes (28, 30) capable of being operated in a redundant fashion for increased reliability or to provide wavelength division multiplexing for increases in bandwidth and information carrying capability. The laser duides are supported with their mounting flanges (38, 40) in a common plane and are oriented to provide beams (28A, 30A) of polarized light having perpendicular E-field vectors. A connector (32) carried by the support (26) positions the optical fiber at the target area where an optics system focuses the light beams. An optical coupling device such as a polarizing beam splitter (46) or a holographic beam separator is responsive to the orthogonal light beams to direct both light beams toward the optical fiber with minimum decrease in amplitude. The package includes no moving parts or highly frequency selective components. The package is employed in a compact communication signal coupling assembly permitting short electrical lead lengths and high circuit density.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy Roy Block
- 👤 Gerald Michael Heiling
- 👤 Dennis Leon Karst
- 👤 David Carl Kobliska
- 👤 Tong Lu
- 👤 Ronald Lee Soderstrom
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 06:13
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/4292; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4204; G02B6/4246
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
171 words
An optical communications signal source package for coupling optical signals to an end of an optical fiber, characterized in that it comprises: a support; first and second semiconductor laser diodes each having a mounting flange and means for emitting a beam of polarized light; said laser diodes being mounted on said support with said flanges in a common plane and being oriented to provide parallel beams of polarized light having different orthogonal planes of polarization; a connector carried by said support at a location spaced from said laser diodes, said connector having an aperture and means for holding an optical fiber with its end positioned at said aperture; first and second nonconfined light paths extending respectively from said first and second laser diodes to said connector; lens means located in said first and second light paths; and a polarization responsive optical coupling device disposed in both of said light paths and responsive to said orthogonal polarization planes to direct substantially the entire amplitudes of both light beams toward said connector aperture.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
171 words
An optical communications signal source package for coupling optical signals to an end of an optical fiber, characterized in that it comprises: a support; first and second semiconductor laser diodes each having a mounting flange and means for emitting a beam of polarized light; said laser diodes being mounted on said support with said flanges in a common plane and being oriented to provide parallel beams of polarized light having different orthogonal planes of polarization; a connector carried by said support at a location spaced from said laser diodes, said connector having an aperture and means for holding an optical fiber with its end positioned at said aperture; first and second nonconfined light paths extending respectively from said first and second laser diodes to said connector; lens means located in said first and second light paths; and a polarization responsive optical coupling device disposed in both of said light paths and responsive to said orthogonal polarization planes to direct substantially the entire amplitudes of both light beams toward said connector aperture.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 1, said first and second paths coinciding in a common segment between said optical coupling device and said connector.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 1, said optical coupling device comprising a polarizing beam splitter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 3, said first light path extending in a generally straight line from said first laser diode through said splitter to said aperture.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 4, further comprising a reflector in said second light path for directing a light beam from said second laser diode to said splitter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 5, said reflector comprising a total internal reflecting prism attached to said polarizing beam splitter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 5, said lens means comprising first and second lenses disposed respectively in said first and second light paths.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 7, said first and second lenses having different effective focusing lengths for focusing light beams from said laser diodes on said aperture.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 8, said first lens being located between said first laser diode and said splitter and said second lens being located between said second laser diode and said reflector.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 9, said first and second lenses comprising graded index lenses having different lengths.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in any one of claims 1-10, further comprising means responsive to loss of amplitude of one of said laser diodes for initiating operation of the other of said laser diodes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 1, said coupling device comprising a holographic beam separator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 12, said lens means including first and second collimating lens holographic optical elements located in said first and second light paths respectively between said first and second laser diodes and said holographic beam separator.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
An optical communications signal source package as defined in claim 13, said lens means further including a focusing lens holographic optical element located between said lohographic beam separator and said aperture.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
DE3429282A1
Cited
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