Patent US1073531A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0440049A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0440049A1
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EP
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Integrated optical signal amplifier
Assignee: Corning Inc
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Filing: 1991-01-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-01-18
Abstract
Abstract An optical signal amplifier with a waveguide path integrated into a glass body (7) that is doped with optically active material. The signal to be amplified is transmitted through the waveguide (1') and the pump power (8) is coupled into the waveguide at one end. The waveguide (1') comprises closely spaced adjacent guide lengths in the form of a spiral, zigzag paths between mirrors (10), or parallel paths with connecting semicircles (12) at alternating ends of succeeding pairs of paths.
Inventors
- 👤 Christian Lerminiaux
- 👤 Pascale Laborde
- 👤 Carlos Obadia Nissim Benveniste
- 👤 Douglas Warren Hall
- 👤 Richard Jansen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:25
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/05; H01S3/06; H01S3/063; H01S3/0632; H01S3/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A stimulated emission optical signal amplifier comprising a glass optical waveguide doped with an optically active material capable of producing a population inversion under a pumping radiation, means for coupling into the waveguide at one end pump power emitted by a laser at an absorption wavelength of said active material, and means for coupling into the waveguide signal power, modulated by the input signal to be amplified, at the emission wavelength of said active material, wherein said waveguide is integrated into a glass body that is doped with said active material, and said waveguide is integrated in closely spaced adjacent guide lengths in order to minimize the space necessary for a given length of waveguide.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 1, wherein said closely spaced adjacent guide lengths form a spiral path.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 2, wherein said spiral path comprises successive half-circular guide lengths whose radii are in an arithmetic progression.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 1, wherein said guide lengths are coplanar and substantially parallel, and further comprising curved sections of waveguide connecting each pair of adjacent guide lengths on one side, wherein said curved sections of waveguide are formed on alternating sides of said body for successive pairs of said guide lengths.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 1, further comprising mirrors on two parallel faces of said glass body, and wherein the waveguide defines a planar optical path zigzagging between these two mirrors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 5, wherein said mirrors are integrated with said body by means of metallization of said body faces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises at least two paths superimposed upon each other in different planes, with means for connecting the different paths to form the waveguide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 1, further comprising coupler means integrated in the doped glass body and associated with at least one end of said waveguide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 8, wherein said coupler means comprises a coupler at one end of said waveguide for providing the pump power input to the guide, and a coupler at the other end for extracting the amplified light signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 8, wherein said coupler means comprises at least one proximity coupler.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 1, wherein said dopant comprises Erbium ions, and wherein said the wavelength of said signal power is in the range of 1540 nm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
The optical signal amplifier of claim 1, further comprising photosensitive means coupled to an output end of the waveguide for monitoring the unabsorbed pump power, and wherein said glass body, said pump laser and said photodetector means are interconnected in a hybrid circuit without pigtails.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
138 words
A method of making a stimulated emission optical signal amplifier including a glass optical waveguide doped with an optically active material capable of producing a population inversion under a pumping radiation, and further including means for coupling into said waveguide at one end pump power emitted by a laser at an absorption wavelength of said active material, and signal power, modulated by the input signal to be amplified, at the emission wavelength of said active material, and means for extracting an amplified output signal from another end of said waveguide, said method comprising integrating and burying said optical waveguide into a glass body doped with said optically active material by photolithographic masking and ion exchange, said waveguide being integrated in closely spaced adjacent guide lengths in order to minimize the space necessary for a given length of waveguide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 13, further comprising integrating proximity couplers in the doped glass body at the ends of the waveguide, the coupler at one end for providing the pump power input to the guide, and the coupler at the other end for extracting the amplified light signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 13, wherein said optically active material comprises Erbium ions with an emission wavelength band in the range of 1540 nm.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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