Patent US3734944A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0859249A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0859249A1
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Optical fiber wavelength multiplexer and demultiplexer
Assignee: Photonetics SA
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Filing: 1998-02-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-02-16
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to an optical fiber wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing device comprising : An optical fiber wavelength multiplexing device comprising : an array of input fibers (101 to 105) designed for carrying light beams at different wavelengths (λ1, λ2, ..., λn), an output fiber (161) designed for carrying the whole set of such light beams, a dispersing system (107) receiving light beams from the input fibers (101 to 105) in an end plane and generating superimposed light beams designed for the output fiber (161) in an output plane, an array of converging microlenses (171 to 175) being located in the input plane, whereas a microlens corresponds to each input fiber, wherein the microlens array has the same pitch as the input fiber array and produces diverging beams whose respective central axes are parallel and which are directed to a collimating lens (108) which produces parallel collimated beams whose respective central axes are converging on the dispersing system. The demultiplexer comprises the same elements, whereas the roles of the fibers and input/output planes are reversed.
Inventors
- 👤 Philippe Martin
- 👤 Bernard Laloux
- 👤 Bertrand Merigot
- 👤 Hervé Lefevre
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 03:31
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/27; G02B6/2706; G02B6/2713; G02B6/272; G02B6/28; G02B6/293; G02B6/29304; G02B6/29305; G02B6/2931; G02B6/29379; G02B6/2938
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
An optical fiber wavelength multiplexing device comprising : an array of input fibers (101 to 105) designed for carrying light
beams at different wavelengths (λ1, λ2, ..., λn), an output fiber (161) designed for carrying the whole set of such
light beams, a dispersing system (107) receiving light beams from the input
fibers (101 to 105) in an end plane and generating superimposed light
beams designed for the output fiber (161) in an output plane, an array of converging microlenses (171 to 175) being located in
the input plane, whereas a microlens corresponds to each input fiber,
wherein the microlens array has the same pitch as the input fiber array and
produces diverging beams whose respective central axes are parallel and
which are directed to a collimating lens (108) which produces parallel
collimated beams whose respective central axes are converging on the
dispersing system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
An optical fiber wavelength demultiplexing device comprising : an array of output fibers designed for carrying light beams at
different wavelengths (λ1, λ2, ..., λn), an input fiber designed for carrying the whole set of such light
beams, a dispersing system receiving the light beam from the input fiber in
an end plane and generating spatially separate light beams designed for the
output fibers in an output plane, an array converging microlens located in the output plane, whereas
a microlens corresponds to each output fiber, wherein a collimating lens
(108) receives parallel collimated beams whose respective central axes are
diverging from the dispersing system and produces converging beams
whose respective central axes are parallel and directed to the microlenses
array which has the same pitch as the output fiber array.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
42 words
A device according to any of claims 1 and 2, characterized in
that the collimating lens (108) is placed at the same distance from the
microlens array and from the dispersing system, and that this distance is
equal to its focal length.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
29 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in
that it contains a refracting prism (200) located between the dispersing
system and the fiber array.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
22 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in
that the dispersing system (107) comprises a diffraction grating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device according to claim 5, characterized in that the
diffraction grating (107) is used in a Littrow configuration.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device according to claim 5, characterized in that the
diffraction grating (107) is used in a Littman-Metcalf
configuration.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
27 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 7 characterized in
that it comprises a polarization splitter (201) between the
microlens array and the grating.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
24 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in
that it comprises a retroreflecting dihedral located after the grating (107).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
64 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in
that the optical fibers (161, 101 à 105) exhibit advantageously a core of
approx. 10 µm, a cladding of approx. 125 µm and a coating of approx.
250 µm, and the lenses (163, 171 to 175) have a focal length of approx.
700 µm and a diameter of 250 µm approx.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
26 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 10, characterized
in that the array of lenses (163, 171 to 175) uses index gradient lenses.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
30 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 11, characterized
in that the wavelengths (λ1, ...,λn) lie within the amplification range of
erbium, between 1530 and 1565 nm.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
29 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 12, characterized
in that it contains a filter on each channel, in order to flatten the associated
elementary passband.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
33 words
A device according to any of the claims 1 to 13, characterized
in that it contains a Fabry-Perot filter located in a superimposition zone of
the channels and flattening all the elementary passbands.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0067972A1
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JPS6275406A
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GB2219869A
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EP0417709A2
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EP0682278A1
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JPH0875948A
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