Patent US6647180B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6647180B2
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US
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Tunable optical dispersion by using two fiber Bragg gratings with nonlinear group delays
Assignee: Teraxion Inc
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Filing: 2001-04-03
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Granted: 2003-11-11
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Expires: 2021-04-03
Abstract
Abstract Techniques and designs for producing tunable optical dispersion by using two fiber Bragg gratings with nonlinear group delays to sequentially reflect an input optical signal and by tuning at least one of the fiber Bragg gratings.
Inventors
- 👤 Joshua E. Rothenberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 14:12
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/28; G02B6/293; G02B6/29304; G02B6/29316; G02B6/29317; G02B6/29319; G02B6/2932; G02B6/29379; G02B6/29392; G02B6/29394; G02B6/29395; H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/25; H04B10/2507; H04B10/2513; H04B10/2519; G02B6/02; G02B6/02057; G02B6/02076; G02B6/0208; G02B6/02085; G02B6/02195
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 120
Claim 1
Independent Claim
218 words
A device, comprising: a first fiber Bragg grating operable to receive an input optical signal to produce a first output optical signal by reflection within a first Bragg reflection band and configured to have a first grating pattern which produces a group delay in said first output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said input optical signal from a center wavelength of said first Bragg reflection band; a second fiber Bragg grating coupled to receive said first output optical signal to produce a second output optical signal by reflection within a second Bragg reflection band and configured to have a second grating pattern which produces a group delay in said second output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said first output optical signal from a center wavelength of said second Bragg reflection band, wherein said first and said second grating patterns are designed to produce a net grating dispersion in said second output signal that is independent of a wavelength of reflected light; and a fiber control unit coupled to at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings and operable to control said one fiber Bragg grating to tune said net grating dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
218 words
A device, comprising: a first fiber Bragg grating operable to receive an input optical signal to produce a first output optical signal by reflection within a first Bragg reflection band and configured to have a first grating pattern which produces a group delay in said first output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said input optical signal from a center wavelength of said first Bragg reflection band; a second fiber Bragg grating coupled to receive said first output optical signal to produce a second output optical signal by reflection within a second Bragg reflection band and configured to have a second grating pattern which produces a group delay in said second output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said first output optical signal from a center wavelength of said second Bragg reflection band, wherein said first and said second grating patterns are designed to produce a net grating dispersion in said second output signal that is independent of a wavelength of reflected light; and a fiber control unit coupled to at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings and operable to control said one fiber Bragg grating to tune said net grating dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is birefringent to have orthogonal fast and slow principal axes of polarization.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The device as in claim 2 , further comprising a polarization rotator disposed in an optical path between said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings and operable to rotate polarization of said first output signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
The device as in claim 3 , wherein said polarization rotator is operable in a way that a polarization parallel at said first fiber Bragg grating to said fast principal axis becomes parallel to said slow principal axis at said second fiber Bragg grating and a polarization parallel at said first fiber Bragg grating to said slow principal axis becomes parallel to said fast principal axis at said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern spatially chirped as a nonlinear function of a position along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device as in claim 5 , wherein said at least one fiber Bragg grating has a grating period that changes nonlinearly with position along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings has a grating pattern spatially chirped as a nonlinear function of a position along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein said first fiber Bragg grating is engaged to said grating control unit and is tunable, said second fiber Bragg grating is not tunable but is pre-stretched by a fixed amount so that said first fiber Bragg grating is stretched to increase said net grating dispersion and is compressed to decrease said net grating dispersion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein said first fiber Bragg grating is engaged to said grating control unit and is tunable, and further comprising a second grating control unit engaged to control said second fiber Bragg grating, wherein said grating control units are operable to respectively change said length of said first fiber Bragg grating opposite to a change in said length of said second fiber Brag grating.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device as in claim 1 , further comprising a dispersive fiber link connected between said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to transmit said first output signal from said first fiber Bragg grating to said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 1 , further comprising an optical circulator coupled to said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings and operable to direct said first output signal from said first fiber Bragg grating to said second fiber Bragg grating without going through a dispersive fiber link.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing grating strength along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing shift of a phase of a grating pattern along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
63 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein said first fiber Bragg grating has a nonlinearly-chirped grating period and is fixed to produce a constant nonlinear group delay and said second fiber Bragg grating has a constant grating period and is tunable to produce a tunable nonlinear group delay, and wherein tuning of said second fiber Bragg grating tunes said net grating dispersion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
The device as in claim 1 , wherein each fiber Bragg grating is configured to produce a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light and a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light, wherein said linear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of said linear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
350 words
A device, comprising: a first fiber Bragg grating operable to receive an input optical signal to produce a first output optical signal by reflection within a first Bragg reflection band and configured to have a first grating pattern which produces a group delay in said first output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said input optical signal from a center wavelength of said first Bragg reflection band; a second fiber Bragg grating coupled to receive said first output optical signal to produce a second output optical signal by reflection within a second Bragg reflection band and configured to have a second grating pattern which produces a group delay in said second output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said first output optical signal from a center wavelength of said second Bragg reflection band, wherein each fiber Bragg grating is configured to produce a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light, and a quadratic dispersion as a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light; a first fiber control unit coupled to said first fiber Bragg grating and operable to control said first fiber Bragg grating to tune a first grating dispersion in said first output signal; and a second fiber control unit coupled to said second fiber Bragg grating and operable to control said second fiber Bragg grating to tune a second grating dispersion in said second output signal, wherein said first and said second grating patterns are configured so that said first and said second fiber control units are operable to tune a total induced dispersion at an operating wavelength in said second output signal by changing lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a first manner, and to tune a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength by changing lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a second, different manner.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
350 words
A device, comprising: a first fiber Bragg grating operable to receive an input optical signal to produce a first output optical signal by reflection within a first Bragg reflection band and configured to have a first grating pattern which produces a group delay in said first output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said input optical signal from a center wavelength of said first Bragg reflection band; a second fiber Bragg grating coupled to receive said first output optical signal to produce a second output optical signal by reflection within a second Bragg reflection band and configured to have a second grating pattern which produces a group delay in said second output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said first output optical signal from a center wavelength of said second Bragg reflection band, wherein each fiber Bragg grating is configured to produce a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light, and a quadratic dispersion as a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light; a first fiber control unit coupled to said first fiber Bragg grating and operable to control said first fiber Bragg grating to tune a first grating dispersion in said first output signal; and a second fiber control unit coupled to said second fiber Bragg grating and operable to control said second fiber Bragg grating to tune a second grating dispersion in said second output signal, wherein said first and said second grating patterns are configured so that said first and said second fiber control units are operable to tune a total induced dispersion at an operating wavelength in said second output signal by changing lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a first manner, and to tune a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength by changing lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a second, different manner.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
58 words
The device as in claim 16 , wherein said linear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as said linear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating, and said quadratic dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of said quadratic dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
71 words
The device as in claim 17 , wherein each fiber Bragg grating is further configured to have a spatial periodic sampling pattern with a sampling period greater than a grating period of each grating so that each grating produces a plurality of reflection bands spaced by a band spacing in frequency which is different from a channel spacing in frequency for a plurality of WDM channels in said input optical signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
98 words
The device as in claim 18 , wherein a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said second fiber Bragg grating, and wherein said first and said second fiber control units operate to increase a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating to tune a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
57 words
The device as in claim 17 , wherein tuning in said first manner is to increase or decrease lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together, and tuning in said second, different manner is to increase a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
58 words
The device as in claim 16 , wherein said linear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of said linear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating, and said quadratic dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as said quadratic dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
69 words
The device as in claim 21 , wherein each fiber Bragg grating is further configured to have a spatial periodic sampling pattern with a sampling period greater than a grating period of each grating so that each grating produces a plurality of reflection bands spaced by a band spacing in frequency different from a channel spacing in frequency for a plurality of WDM channels in said input optical signal.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
95 words
The device as in claim 22 , wherein a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said second fiber Bragg grating, and wherein said first and said second fiber control units operate to increase or decrease lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together to tune a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
57 words
The device as in claim 21 , wherein tuning in said first manner is to increase a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating, and tuning in said second, different manner is to increase or decrease lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
The device as in claim 16 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is birefringent to have orthogonal fast and slow principal axes of polarization.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
The device as in claim 25 , further comprising a polarization rotator disposed in an optical path between said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings and operable to rotate polarization of said first output signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
72 words
The device as in claim 25 , wherein said polarization rotator is operable in a way that a polarization parallel at said first fiber Bragg grating to said fast principal axis becomes parallel to said slow principal axis at said second fiber Bragg grating and a polarization parallel at said first fiber Bragg grating to said slow principal axis becomes parallel to said fast principal axis at said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device as in claim 16 , further comprising a dispersive fiber link connected between said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to transmit said first output signal from said first fiber Bragg grating to said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 16 , further comprising an optical circulator coupled to said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings and operable to direct said first output signal from said first fiber Bragg grating to said second fiber Bragg grating without going through a dispersive fiber link.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device as in claim 16 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern spatially chirped as a nonlinear function of a position along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device as in claim 16 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing grating strength along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 16 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing shift of a phase of a grating pattern along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device as in claim 16 , wherein at least one grating control unit includes a mechanical fiber stretcher.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device as in claim 16 , wherein at least one grating control unit includes a thermal device that changes a temperature of a respective fiber Bragg grating so as to tune a nonlinear group delay produced thereby.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
271 words
A device, comprising: a first fiber Bragg grating operable to receive an input optical signal and to produce a first output optical signal by reflection; and a second fiber Bragg grating coupled to receive said first output optical signal and to produce a second output optical signal by reflection, wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings has a spatial grating pattern to produce a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion that is independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion that is a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light, and a quadratic dispersion that is a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light; a first fiber control unit coupled to said first fiber Bragg grating and operable to control said first fiber Bragg grating to tune a first grating dispersion in said first output signal; and a second fiber control unit coupled to said second fiber Bragg grating and operable to control said second fiber Bragg grating to tune a second grating dispersion in said second output signal, wherein said first and said second grating patterns are configured so that both a total induced dispersion in said second output signal and a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength are tunable by changing lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a first manner while said rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength is not tunable by changing lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a second, different manner which tunes said total induced dispersion.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
271 words
A device, comprising: a first fiber Bragg grating operable to receive an input optical signal and to produce a first output optical signal by reflection; and a second fiber Bragg grating coupled to receive said first output optical signal and to produce a second output optical signal by reflection, wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings has a spatial grating pattern to produce a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion that is independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion that is a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light, and a quadratic dispersion that is a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light; a first fiber control unit coupled to said first fiber Bragg grating and operable to control said first fiber Bragg grating to tune a first grating dispersion in said first output signal; and a second fiber control unit coupled to said second fiber Bragg grating and operable to control said second fiber Bragg grating to tune a second grating dispersion in said second output signal, wherein said first and said second grating patterns are configured so that both a total induced dispersion in said second output signal and a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength are tunable by changing lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a first manner while said rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength is not tunable by changing lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a second, different manner which tunes said total induced dispersion.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
61 words
The device as in claim 35 , wherein said linear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of said linear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating, and said quadratic dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of said quadratic dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
80 words
The device as in claim 36 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is further configured to have a spatial periodic sampling pattern with a sampling period greater than a grating period of each grating so that each grating produces a plurality of reflection bands spaced by a band spacing in frequency, and wherein said input optical signal includes a plurality of WDM channels with a channel spacing in frequency different from said band spacing.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
98 words
The device as in claim 37 , wherein a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said second fiber Bragg grating, and wherein said first and said second fiber control units operate to increase or decrease lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together to tune a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
57 words
The device as in 36 , wherein tuning in said first manner is to increase a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating, and wherein tuning in said second, different manner is to increase or decrease lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
57 words
The device as in 36 , wherein tuning in said first manner is to increase a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating, and wherein tuning in said second, different manner is to increase or decrease lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
54 words
The device as in claim 35 , wherein said linear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as said linear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating, and said quadratic dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has the same as said quadratic dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
80 words
The device as in claim 40 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is further configured to have a spatial periodic sampling pattern with a sampling period greater than a grating period of each grating so that each grating produces a plurality of reflection bands spaced by a band spacing in frequency, and wherein said input optical signal includes a plurality of WDM channels with a channel spacing in frequency different from said band spacing.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
92 words
The device as in claim 41 , wherein a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said second fiber Bragg grating, and wherein a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel is tunable by increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
58 words
The device as in claim 40 , wherein tuning in said first manner is to increase or decrease lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together, and wherein tuning in said second, different manner is to increase a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
30 words
The device as in claim 35 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is birefringent to have orthogonal fast and slow principal axes of polarization.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
36 words
The device as in claim 44 , further comprising a polarization rotator disposed in an optical path between said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings and operable to rotate polarization of said first output signal.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
72 words
The device as in claim 45 , wherein said polarization rotator is operable in a way that a polarization parallel at said first fiber Bragg grating to said fast principal axis becomes parallel to said slow principal axis at said second fiber Bragg grating and a polarization parallel at said first fiber Bragg grating to said slow principal axis becomes parallel to said fast principal axis at said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device as in claim 35 , further comprising a dispersive fiber link connected between said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to transmit said first output signal from said first fiber Bragg grating to said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 35 , further comprising an optical circulator coupled to said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings and operable to direct said first output signal from said first fiber Bragg grating to said second fiber Bragg grating without going through a dispersive fiber link.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device as in claim 35 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern spatially chirped as a nonlinear function of a position along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device as in claim 35 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating parameter and a spatially-changing grating strength along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device as in claim 35 , wherein at least one grating control unit includes a mechanical fiber stretcher.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device as in claim 35 , wherein at least one grating control unit includes a thermal device that changes a temperature of a respective fiber Bragg grating so as to tune a nonlinear group delay produced thereby.
Claim 57
Independent Claim
196 words
A method, comprising: providing first and second fiber Bragg gratings, each grating having a grating pattern which produces a group delay in reflecting an optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said optical signal from a center wavelength of a Bragg reflection band of said grating, wherein said group delay corresponds to a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light, and a quadratic dispersion as a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light; directing an input optical signal into said first fiber Bragg grating to produce a first output signal by reflection; directing said first output signal into said second fiber Bragg grating to produce a second output signal by reflection; controlling lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a first way to tune a total induced dispersion in said second output signal; and controlling lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a second, different way to tune a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 58
Independent Claim
196 words
A method, comprising: providing first and second fiber Bragg gratings, each grating having a grating pattern which produces a group delay in reflecting an optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said optical signal from a center wavelength of a Bragg reflection band of said grating, wherein said group delay corresponds to a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light, and a quadratic dispersion as a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light; directing an input optical signal into said first fiber Bragg grating to produce a first output signal by reflection; directing said first output signal into said second fiber Bragg grating to produce a second output signal by reflection; controlling lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a first way to tune a total induced dispersion in said second output signal; and controlling lengths of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings in a second, different way to tune a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method as in claim 53 , wherein said first nonlinear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as said first nonlinear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating, and said second nonlinear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of said second nonlinear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method as in claim 54 , further comprising: tuning said total induced dispersion in said second output signal by increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together; and tuning said rate of change in said total induced dispersion by increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
118 words
The method as in claim 55 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is further configured to have a spatial periodic sampling pattern with a sampling period greater than a grating period of each grating so that each grating produces a plurality of reflection bands spaced by a band spacing in frequency which is different from a channel spacing in frequency for a plurality of WDM channels in said input optical signal, and wherein a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as in claim 56 , further comprising tuning a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel by increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method as in claim 53 , wherein said linear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of said linear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating, and said quadratic dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as said quadratic dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
110 words
The method as in claim 58 , wherein each fiber Bragg grating is further configured to have a spatial periodic sampling pattern with a sampling period greater than a grating period of each grating so that each grating produces a plurality of reflection bands spaced by a band spacing in frequency different from a channel spacing in frequency for a plurality of WDM channels in said input optical signal, and wherein a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said first fiber Bragg grating has the same sign as a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method as in claim 59 , further comprising increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together to tune a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method as in claim 58 , further comprising: tuning said total induced dispersion in said second output signal by increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating; and tuning said rate of change in said total induced dispersion by increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as in claim 53 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is formed in a birefringent fiber so as to control polarization-mode dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as in claim 62 , further comprising controlling polarization of said first output signal upon entry of said second fiber Bragg grating to control said polarization-mode dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method as in claim 53 , wherein one of said first and said second ways includes increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating, and the other of said first and said second ways includes increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 53 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing shift of a phase of a grating pattern along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as in claim 53 , further comprising connecting said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings at two different locations in a dispersive fiber so that said first output signal transmits through a portion of the dispersive fiber before entry of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as in claim 53 , further comprising connecting said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings at the same location in a dispersive fiber so that said first output signal is directly coupled into said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as in claim 53 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern spatially chirped as a nonlinear function of a position along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as in claim 53 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing grating strength along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as in claim 53 , wherein one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is controlled to tune a group delay in its output while the other fiber Bragg grating is not tuned and is fixed to produce a constant nonlinear group delay.
Claim 76
Independent Claim
191 words
A method, comprising: providing first and second fiber Bragg gratings, each grating having a grating pattern which produces a group delay in reflecting an optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said optical signal from a center wavelength of a Bragg reflection band of said grating, wherein said group delay corresponds to a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light which has opposite signs in said first and said second gratings, and a quadratic dispersion as a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light which has opposite signs in said first and said second gratings; directing an input optical signal into said first fiber Bragg grating to produce a first output signal by reflection; directing said first output signal into said second fiber Bragg grating to produce a second output signal by reflection; and changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to tune a property of a total induced dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 77
Independent Claim
191 words
A method, comprising: providing first and second fiber Bragg gratings, each grating having a grating pattern which produces a group delay in reflecting an optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said optical signal from a center wavelength of a Bragg reflection band of said grating, wherein said group delay corresponds to a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light which has opposite signs in said first and said second gratings, and a quadratic dispersion as a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light which has opposite signs in said first and said second gratings; directing an input optical signal into said first fiber Bragg grating to produce a first output signal by reflection; directing said first output signal into said second fiber Bragg grating to produce a second output signal by reflection; and changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to tune a property of a total induced dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 78
Dependent Claim
113 words
The method as in claim 71 , wherein each fiber Bragg grating is further configured to have a spatial periodic sampling pattern with a sampling period greater than a grating period of each grating so that each grating produces a plurality of reflection bands spaced by a band spacing in frequency different from a channel spacing in frequency for a plurality of WDM channels in said input optical signal, and wherein a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 79
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method as in claim 72 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings includes increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together to tune a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel.
Claim 80
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method as in claim 73 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings further includes increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating to tune a total induced dispersion in said second output signal and a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 81
Dependent Claim
107 words
The method as in claim 72 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings includes only increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together, without increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating, to tune a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel without changing a total induced dispersion in said second output signal and a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 82
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as in claim 71 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is formed in a birefringent fiber so as to control polarization-mode dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 83
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as in claim 76 , further comprising controlling polarization of said first output signal upon entry of said second fiber Bragg grating to control said polarization-mode dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 84
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 71 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing shift of a phase of a grating pattern along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 85
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as in claim 71 , further comprising connecting said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings at two different locations in a dispersive fiber so that said first output signal transmits through a portion of the dispersive fiber before entry of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 86
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as in claim 71 , further comprising connecting said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings at the same location in a dispersive fiber so that said first output signal is directly coupled into said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 87
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method as in claim 71 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings includes increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating to tune a total induced dispersion in said second output signal and a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 88
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as in claim 71 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing grating strength along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 89
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as in claim 71 , wherein one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is controlled to tune a group delay in its output while the other fiber Bragg grating is not tuned and is fixed to produce a constant nonlinear group delay.
Claim 90
Independent Claim
197 words
A method, comprising: providing first and second fiber Bragg gratings, each grating having a grating pattern which produces a group delay in reflecting an optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said optical signal from a center wavelength of a Bragg reflection band of said grating, wherein said group delay corresponds to a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light which has the same sign in both said first and said second gratings together, and a quadratic dispersion as a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light which has the same sign in both said first and said second gratings together; directing an input optical signal into said first fiber Bragg grating to produce a first output signal by reflection; directing said first output signal into said second fiber Bragg grating to produce a second output signal by reflection; and changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to tune a property of a total induced dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 91
Independent Claim
197 words
A method, comprising: providing first and second fiber Bragg gratings, each grating having a grating pattern which produces a group delay in reflecting an optical signal as a nonlinear function of a frequency detuning of a wavelength of said optical signal from a center wavelength of a Bragg reflection band of said grating, wherein said group delay corresponds to a grating dispersion having a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light, a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light which has the same sign in both said first and said second gratings together, and a quadratic dispersion as a quadratic function of a wavelength of reflected light which has the same sign in both said first and said second gratings together; directing an input optical signal into said first fiber Bragg grating to produce a first output signal by reflection; directing said first output signal into said second fiber Bragg grating to produce a second output signal by reflection; and changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to tune a property of a total induced dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 92
Dependent Claim
113 words
The method as in claim 84 , wherein each fiber Bragg grating is further configured to have a spatial periodic sampling pattern with a sampling period greater than a grating period of each grating so that each grating produces a plurality of reflection bands spaced by a band spacing in frequency different from a channel spacing in frequency for a plurality of WDM channels in said input optical signal, and wherein a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of a frequency difference between said band spacing and said channel spacing in said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 93
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method as in claim 85 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings includes increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating to tune a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel.
Claim 94
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method as in claim 86 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings further includes increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together to tune a total induced dispersion in said second output signal and a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 95
Independent Claim
63 words
The method 84 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings includes increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together to tune a total induced dispersion in said second output signal and a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 96
Independent Claim
63 words
The method 84 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings includes increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together to tune a total induced dispersion in said second output signal and a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 97
Dependent Claim
97 words
The method as in claim 88 , wherein said changing a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings includes only increasing a length of one fiber Bragg grating while decreasing a length of the other fiber Bragg grating, without increasing or decreasing lengths of both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together, to tune a change in said total induced dispersion in said second output signal from one channel to an adjacent channel without changing a rate of change in said total induced dispersion with respect to wavelength.
Claim 98
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as in claim 84 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is formed in a birefringent fiber so as to control polarization-mode dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 99
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as in claim 90 , further comprising controlling polarization of said first output signal upon entry of said second fiber Bragg grating to control said polarization-mode dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 100
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as in claim 84 , further comprising connecting said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings at two different locations in a dispersive fiber so that said first output signal transmits through a portion of the dispersive fiber before entry of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 101
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as in claim 84 , further comprising connecting said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings at the same location in a dispersive fiber so that said first output signal is directly coupled into said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 102
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as in claim 84 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing grating strength along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 103
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 84 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing shift of a phase of a grating pattern along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 104
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as in claim 84 , wherein one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is controlled to tune a group delay in its output while the other fiber Bragg grating is not tuned and is fixed to produce a constant nonlinear group delay.
Claim 105
Independent Claim
163 words
A method, comprising: directing an input optical signal into a first fiber Bragg grating to produce a first output optical signal by reflection, said first fiber Bragg grating having a first grating pattern which produces a group delay in said first output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a wavelength of reflected light; directing said first output optical signal into a second fiber Bragg grating to produce a second output optical signal by reflection, said second fiber Bragg grating having a second grating pattern which produces a group delay in said second output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a wavelength of reflected light, wherein said first and said second grating patterns are designed to produce a net dispersion in said second output signal that is independent of a wavelength of reflected light; and controlling a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to tune said net grating dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 106
Independent Claim
163 words
A method, comprising: directing an input optical signal into a first fiber Bragg grating to produce a first output optical signal by reflection, said first fiber Bragg grating having a first grating pattern which produces a group delay in said first output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a wavelength of reflected light; directing said first output optical signal into a second fiber Bragg grating to produce a second output optical signal by reflection, said second fiber Bragg grating having a second grating pattern which produces a group delay in said second output optical signal as a nonlinear function of a wavelength of reflected light, wherein said first and said second grating patterns are designed to produce a net dispersion in said second output signal that is independent of a wavelength of reflected light; and controlling a length of at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings to tune said net grating dispersion in said second output signal.
Claim 107
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as in claim 97 , wherein each of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is birefringent to have orthogonal fast and slow principal axes of polarization.
Claim 108
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as in claim 98 , further comprising rotating polarization of said first output signal prior to entering said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 109
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method as in claim 99 , wherein a polarization parallel at said first fiber Bragg grating to said fast principal axis becomes parallel to said slow principal axis at said second fiber Bragg grating and a polarization parallel at said first fiber Bragg grating to said slow principal axis becomes parallel to said fast principal axis at said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 110
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as in claim 97 , further comprising connecting said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings at two different locations in a dispersive fiber so that said first output signal transmits through a portion of the dispersive fiber before entry of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 111
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as in claim 97 , further comprising connecting said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings at the same location in a dispersive fiber so that said first output signal is directly coupled into said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 112
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method as in claim 97 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings has a grating pattern spatially chirped as a nonlinear function of a position along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 113
Dependent Claim
54 words
The device as in claim 97 , wherein said first fiber Bragg grating is tunable, said second fiber Bragg grating is not tunable but is pre-stretched by a fixed amount so that said first fiber Bragg grating is stretched to increase said net grating dispersion and is compressed to decrease said net grating dispersion.
Claim 114
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method as in claim 97 , wherein both said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings together are tunable, and further comprising changing said length of said first fiber Bragg grating opposite to a change in said length of said second fiber Brag grating.
Claim 115
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as in claim 97 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing grating strength along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 116
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device as in claim 97 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing grating strength along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 117
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as in claim 97 , wherein at least one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is configured to have a grating pattern which has a constant grating period and a spatially-changing shift of a phase of a grating pattern along said fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 118
Dependent Claim
63 words
The device as in claim 97 , wherein said first fiber Bragg grating has a nonlinearly-chirped grating period and is fixed to produce a constant nonlinear group delay and said second fiber Bragg grating has a constant grating period and is tunable to produce a tunable nonlinear group delay, and wherein tuning of said second fiber Bragg grating tunes said net grating dispersion.
Claim 119
Dependent Claim
67 words
The device as in claim 97 , wherein each fiber Bragg grating is configured to produce a constant dispersion independent of a wavelength of reflected light and a linear dispersion as a linear function of a wavelength of reflected light, wherein said linear dispersion of said first fiber Bragg grating has a sign opposite to a sign of said linear dispersion of said second fiber Bragg grating.
Claim 120
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as in claim 97 , wherein one of said first and said second fiber Bragg gratings is controlled to tune a nonlinear group delay in its output while the other fiber Bragg grating is not tuned and is fixed to produce a constant nonlinear group delay.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-11-10 | 2007-05-12 | 2007-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-11-10 | 2011-05-12 | 2011-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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