Nonlinear optical apparatus using optical fibers

Claim 2

A second order optical signal processing apparatus comprising in combination: a nonlinear optical medium providing nonlinear second order signal coupling, and a predetermined number of optical fibers embedded in said nonlinear optical medium, said optical fibers being positioned in close proximity to and substantially parallel with each other, said optical fibers being evanescently coupled to each other and to said nonlinear optical medium to perform second order signal processing of optical signals which are applied to said optical fibers.

Claim 3

A second order optical signal processing apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said nonlinear optical medium comprises a substantially rectangular solid whose dimension may be varied to accomplish phase matching between said optical signals.

Claim 4

A second order optical signal processing apparatus comprising in combination: a nonlinear optical medium providing nonlinear second order signal coupling; and, a single optical fiber, a first and second optical signal being applied to said single optical fiber, said first and second optical signal being evanescently coupled to each other in said nonlinear medium to produce an output signal.

Claim 5

A second order optical signal processing apparatus comprising in combination: a nonlinear optical medium providing nonlinear second order signal coupling; and, a single optical fiber, a first and second optical signal being applied to said single optical fiber, said first and second optical signal being evanescently coupled to each other in said nonlinear medium to produce an output signal.

Claim 6

A second order optical signal processing apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said predetermined number of optical fibers comprise a first and second fiber, said second fiber being positioned within said nonlinear optical medium in close proximity to and substantially parallel with said first fiber, said first fiber having a first optical signal applied thereto, said second fiber having a second optical signal applied thereto, said first optical signal being amplified by the second order nonlinearity of said optical medium at the expense of said second optical signal.

Claim 7

A second order optical signal processing apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said nonlinear optical medium comprises a crystalline structure which may be oriented in different directions with respect to the axis of said optical fiber to utilize any given nonlinear tensor component of said nonlinear optical medium.

Claim 8

A second order optical signal processing apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said output signal may comprise the sum or difference of said first and second optical signal.

Claim 9

A second order optical signal processing apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said single fiber is substantially centered within said nonlinear optical medium.

Claim 10

A second order optical signal processing apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said nonlinear optical medium has an upper surface, said first and second fiber is positioned substantially near said upper surface of said nonlinear optical medium.