DEVICE USING VIRTUALLY IMAGED PHASED ARRAY (VIPA) HAVING OUTPUT LIGHT TRANSMISSION WAVELENGTH CHARACTERISTIC IMPROVED

• Main Authors: MITAMURA NOBUAKI, SONODA HIROHIKO, KAWABATA YUICHI, YAMAUCHI YASUHIRO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.10.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TRANSMISSION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means for suppressing light loss and improving wavelength characteristics of output light to desired characteristics with respect to a device using a VIPA, which compensates wavelength dispersion. SOLUTION: When viewed from above, the dispersion compensator including the VIPA is so constituted that light is reflected at angles different by wavelengths when being reflected by a mirror. Light of each wavelength is coupled to the end part of an input fiber at an angle. When light is coupled at an angle, the coupling efficiency is reduced to increase the loss. With respect to wavelength characteristics of the VIPA, light of wavelengths for higher transmittances is coupled to the fiber at angles, and light of wavelengths for lower transmittances is coupled to the fiber at smaller angles or 0° with high coupling efficiency. Thus wavelength characteristics rounded at the end, of the VIPA are made flat. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO