Active Optical Isolators And Active Optical Circulators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016164239-A1
Application number	US-201414571416-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 6, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus includes a controllable optical interferometer having first and second external optical ports and a traveling-wave modulation electrode. The apparatus also includes an electrical driver configured and connected to apply a voltage with a periodic modulation to the traveling-wave modulation electrode such that the controllable optical interferometer operates as an optical isolator over a wavelength range.

First claim

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a controllable optical interferometer having first and second external optical ports and a traveling-wave modulation electrode; and an electrical driver configured and connected to apply a voltage with a periodic modulation to the traveling-wave modulation electrode such that the controllable optical interferometer operates as an optical isolator over a wavelength range; and wherein the controllable optical interferometer includes a Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer.

2 . (canceled)

3 . An apparatus, comprising:
a controllable optical interferometer having first and second external optical ports and a traveling-wave modulation electrode; and an electrical driver configured and connected to apply a voltage with a periodic modulation to the traveling-wave modulation electrode such that the controllable optical interferometer operates as an optical isolator over a wavelength range; and wherein the controllable optical interferometer includes an optical loop interferometer.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controllable optical interferometer includes a series of cascaded controllable optical interferometers, each of the controllable optical interferometers of the series having a traveling-wave modulation electrode; and
wherein an electrical driver is configured to apply a voltage with a periodic modulation to each traveling-wave modulation electrode.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical driver is configured to operate the controllable optical interferometer such that, in a wavelength range, light input to the second external optical port is substantially blocked by the controllable optical interferometer from being output at the first external optical port.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the electrical driver is configured to operate the controllable optical interferometer such that, in the wavelength range, light input to the first external optical port is substantially passed by the controllable optical interferometer to be output at the first external optical port.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical driver is configured to operate the controllable optical interferometer such that, in the wavelength range, light input to the first external optical port is substantially passed by the controllable optical interferometer to be output at the first external optical port.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the voltage has a square wave modulation.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controllable optical interferometer is an integrated optical device.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a laser having distributed optical feedback; and wherein the controllable optical interferometer is connected to receive light from the laser via one of the external optical ports and is connected to function as an optical isolator for the laser.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical amplifier; and wherein the controllable optical interferometer is connected to receive light from the optical amplifier via one of the external optical ports and is connected to function as an optical isolator for the optical amplifier.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controllable optical interferometer has a third external optical port; and
wherein the voltage is configured to operate the controllable optical interferometer as an optical circulator with the first, second and third external optical ports.

13 . A method, comprising:
applying a voltage having a periodic modulation to a traveling-wave modulation electrode of a controllable optical interferometer with first and second external optical ports to configure the controllable optical interferometer to substantially block light received at the second external optical port from being output by the controllable optical interferometer at the first external optical port; and where the controllable optical interferometer is a Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the applying an alternating voltage configures the controllable optical interferometer to cause light received at the first external optical port to be substantially output by the controllable optical interferometer at the second external optical port.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the applying applies a voltage with a square wave modulation to the traveling-wave modulation electrode.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the applying produces a current wave on a segment of the traveling-wave modulation electrode light that co-propagates with part of the light received at the second external optical port in a coupling region such that the light received at the second external optical port is substantially blocked from being output at the first external optical port.

17 . (canceled)

18 . A method, comprising:
applying a voltage having a periodic modulation to a traveling-wave modulation electrode of a controllable optical interferometer with first and second external optical ports to configure the controllable optical interferometer to substantially block light received at the second external optical port from being output by the controllable optical interferometer at the first external optical port; and wherein the controllable optical interferometer is an optical loop interferometer.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving light from a laser or optical amplifier at the first external optical port while performing the applying.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the applying a voltage configures the controllable optical interferometer to function as a 3-port optical circulator.

21 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controllable optical interferometer has a third external optical port; and
wherein the voltage is configured to operate the controllable optical interferometer as an optical circulator with the first, second and third external optical ports.

22 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controllable optical interferometer includes a series of cascaded controllable optical interferometers, each of the controllable optical interferometers of the series having a traveling-wave modulation electrode; and
wherein an electrical driver is configured to apply a voltage with a periodic modulation to each traveling-wave modulation electrode.

23 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the electrical driver is configured to operate the controllable optical interferometer such that, in a wavelength range, light input to the second external optical port is substantially blocked by the controllable optical interferometer from being output at the first external optical port.

24 . The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the electrical driver is configured to operate the controllable optical interferometer such that, in the wavelength range, light input to the first external optical port is substantially passed by the controllable optical interferometer to be output at the first external optical port.

Assignees

• Alcatel Lucent Usa Inc

Inventors

• Dong Po

Classifications

• H01S3/0064 Primary

  Anti-reflection devices, e.g. optical isolaters (absorbing layers for marking or protecting purposes in laser working B23K26/50; magneto-optical non-reciprocal devices G02F1/093, G02F1/0955) · CPC title

• G02F2001/212

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F1/225

  in an optical waveguide structure · CPC title

• H01S3/0085

  Modulating the output, i.e. the laser beam is modulated outside the laser cavity · CPC title

• G02F1/0121 Primary

  Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title