Optical: systems and elements – Polarization without modulation – By relatively adjustable superimposed or in series polarizers
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-07
2004-02-03
Juba, John (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Polarization without modulation
By relatively adjustable superimposed or in series polarizers
C359S490020, C359S490020, C359S490020, C398S065000, C398S068000, C398S079000, C398S081000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06687054
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to optical communications devices and systems and relates more particularly to a low dispersion filter or interleaver for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical communication systems and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Optical communication systems which utilize wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technologies are well known. According to both wavelength-division multiplexing and dense wavelength-division multiplexing, a plurality of different wavelengths of light, typically infrared light, are transmitted via a single medium such as an optical fiber. Each wavelength corresponds to a separate channel and carries information generally independently with respect to the other channels. The plurality of wavelengths (and consequently the corresponding plurality of channels) are transmitted simultaneously without interference with one another, so as to substantially enhance the transmission bandwidth of the communication system. Thus, according to wavelength-division multiplexing and dense wavelength-division multiplexing technologies, a much greater amount of information may be transmitted than is possible utilizing a single wavelength optical communication system.
The individual channels of a wavelength-division multiplexed or dense wavelength-division multiplexed signal must be selected or separated from one another at a receiver in order to facilitate detection and demodulation thereof. This separation or demultiplexing process can be performed by an interleaver. A similar device facilitates multiplexing of the individual channels by a transmitter.
It is important that the interleaver separate the individual channels sufficiently so as to mitigate undesirable crosstalk therebetween. Crosstalk occurs when channels overlap, i.e., remain substantially unseparated, such that some portion of one or more non-selected channels remains in combination with a selected channel. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, such crosstalk interferes with the detection and/or demodulation process. Typically, the effects of crosstalk must be compensated for by undesirably increasing channel spacing and/or reducing the communication speed, so as to facilitate reliable detection/demodulation of the signal.
However, as channel usage inherently increases over time, the need for efficient utilization of available bandwidth becomes more important. Therefore, it is highly undesirable to reduce communication speed in order to compensate for the effects of crosstalk. Moreover, it is generally desirable to reduce channel spacing so as to facilitate the communication of a greater number of channels.
Filters are typically used within interleavers (and are also used in various other optical devices), so as to facilitate the separation of channels from one another in a wavelength-division multiplexing or dense wavelength division multiplexing system. Various characteristics of such filters contribute to the mitigation of crosstalk and thus to contribute reliable communications. For example, the ability of a filter to separate one optical channel from another or to separate one set of channels from another set of channels is dependent substantially upon width and depth of the filter's stopband. Generally, the wider and deeper the stopband, the more effectively the filter rejects unwanted adjacent channels and thus the more effectively the filter mitigates crosstalk.
Further, the flatness and width of the filter's passband is important. The flatness of the filter's passband determines how much the signal is undesirably altered during the filtering process. A substantially flat passband is desired, so as to assure that minimal undesirable alteration of the signal occurs. The width of the passband determines how far from the ideal or nominal channel center frequency a signal can be and still be effectively selected. A wide passband is desirable because the nominal center frequency of a carrier which is utilized to define a communication channel is not perfectly stable, and therefore tends to drift over time. Further, the nominal center frequency of a filter passband likewise tends to drift over time. Although it is possible to construct a system wherein the center frequency of the communication channel and the center frequency of the filter are comparatively stable, it is generally impractical and undesirably expensive to do so.
Although having a wider filter passband is generally desirable, so as to facilitate the filtering of signals which have drifted somewhat from their nominal center wavelength, the use of such wider pass bands and the consequent accommodation of channel center wavelength drift does introduce the possibility for undesirably large dispersion being introduced into a filtered channel. Typically, the dispersion introduced by a birefringent filter or interleaver increases rapidly as the channel spacing is reduced and as a channel moves away from its nominal center wavelength, as discussed in detail below. Thus, as more channel wavelength error is tolerated in a birefringent filter or interleaver, greater dispersion values are likely to be introduced.
In order to construct a system wherein the center frequency of the communication channel and the center frequency of the filter are comparatively stable, it is necessary to provide precise control of the manufacturing processes involved. Since it is generally impractical and undesirably expensive to provide such precise control during manufacturing, the center frequency of communication channels and the center frequency of filters generally tend to mismatch with each other. Precise control of manufacturing processes is difficult because it involves the use of more stringent tolerances which inherently require more accurate manufacturing equipment and more time consuming procedures. The center frequency of the communication channel and the center frequency of the filter also tend to drift over time due to inevitable material and device degradation over time and also due to changes in the optical characteristics of optical components due to temperature changes. Therefore, it is important that the passband be wide enough so as to include a selected signal, even when both the carrier frequency of the selected signal and the center frequency of the passband are not precisely matched or aligned during manufacturing and have drifted substantially over time.
Birefringent filters for use in wavelength-division multiplexing and dense wavelength-division multiplexing communication systems are well known. Such birefringent filters are used to select or deselect optical signals according to the channel wavelengths thereof. However, contemporary birefringent filters tend to suffer from deficiencies caused by inherent carrier and passband instability due to manufacturing difficulties and due to drifting over time, as discussed above. That is, the passband of a contemporary birefringent filter is not as flat or as wide as is necessary for optimal performance. Further, the stopbands of such contemporary birefringent filters are not as deep or as wide as is necessary for optimal performance. Third, it typically has large dispersion which would introduce significant signal distortion. Therefore, it is desirable to optimize such birefringent filters in a manner which enhances the width of the passband, makes the passband more flat, and which also widens and deepens the stopband. It is desirable to provide a birefringent filter whereby the width of the stopband is roughly equal to the width of the passband, so as to facilitate the efficient separation of equally spaced channels in a wavelength-division multiplexing or dense wavelength-division multiplexing communication system. Further, it is desirable to provide a birefringent filter which possess zero or extremely low dispersion.
Such birefringent filters typically comprise a plurality of birefringent elements placed
Cirvine Corporation
Juba John
Rutan & Tucker
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